Giving prosthetic limb users a helping hand with technology

Russian cyborgs

It is estimated that by 2025, 20% of the world may be considered ‘cyborgs’, that is people with electronic devices built into the body or worn externally. Each year in Russia, approximately 65,000 people a year require a prosthetic limb for an upper extremity. Russia is the second country in the world to have signed a cyborg bill of rights, ensuring that those with disabilities who choose to modify their bodies receive adequate social protection and support.

Remote rehab

Technology has a key role to play here. Russian mobile operator Beeline has teamed up with Motorica, a company that manufactures smart bionic prosthetics, to create the world’s first project to remotely monitor high-tech assistant devices. This removes the need for the patient to endure frequent, and often unnecessary, medical appointments and allows the therapist to receive relevant data in real-time, ensuring a more efficient and effective rehabilitation process. There is even a VR platform to create a game-like feel to rehabilitation that keeps stress to a minimum, which is incredibly important in traumatic circumstances, such as when a patient has lost a limb in an accident.

Ready for lift-off

Currently 8 prostheses are still being tested in preparation for a launch in 2 regions of Russia. Following this, the technology will be ready for installation in all of Beeline and Motorica’s prostheses, of which there are over 1,000 in 11 countries. The ambition is to create an extensive, supportive ecosystem that can advocate for the rights and improve the lives of people with disabilities and change the way they are viewed by society.

“This technology truly is a game-changer. It provides us with insights and information that we never had access to before. Because of this, we weren’t always make accurate evaluations about how the prosthesis was being used. Now we can speed up recovery time exponentially. Ultimately it’s the patient who really benefits here.”

Dr. Nina Kuznetsov, physical therapist, Moscow