"I feel like the Terminator": One-armed man’s life transformed by advanced robot hand
A one-armed man’s life has been transformed by a robot hand so accurate it can grip an egg without cracking it.
Nigel Ackland’s advanced bionic limb has given him back the ability to do everyday tasks such as peeling vegetables, tying laces and typing.
The 53-year-old lost his right arm below the elbow after it was crushed in an industrial accident six years ago.
He struggled with NHS prosthetic parts and was selected to take part in a trial of the pioneering limb – controlled by him twitching muscles in his upper arm.
Nigel said: “I have been blown away by the robotic hand. I could sit and watch it all day. I feel like the Terminator.
"The fingers even move when I yawn and stretch.
“I am slowly becoming more at one with it. Tying a shoe lace and chopping a vegetable are now much easier.”
The former precious metals smelter said: “It has made a massive difference to my life and health. Losing a limb can take you into a dark place.”
Right-handed Nigel, who lives with wife Vanessa, 50, and son Conor, 19, in Royston, Cambridgeshire, was one of seven amputees around the world picked by British prosthetics firm RSLSteeper to try out the bebionic3 hand that costs between £8,000 and £12,000.
