Artificial arms evolve from robots, or vice versa?

Abstract

There is a close relationship between robotics and prosthetic devices (artificial limbs) since both provide human like motion and prehension. In general, prosthetic devices have benefited from the development of robotic technologies. Interestingly, researchers at the Center for Engineering Design at the University of Utah developed the Utah Arm, a three-degree-of-freedom elbow prosthesis, prior to developing the Utah/MIT dextrous hand, a robotics end-effector. These research projects spawned two new companies, the Motion Control, Inc., the manufacturer of the Utah Arm, and Sarcos, Inc., a robotics company under the leadership of Stephen C. Jacobsen.