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Boy Gets 'Bionic Hand'

A six-year-old Kentucky boy is the talk of his school because of his new "robo hand."
Connie Leonard reports.


(Julie Abraham/Grandmother) "I heard him say to his mom one day when we were in the car. He said mom when will I ever get a robo-hand. And it... it just got to me."
JULIE WROTE A LETTER TO UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE. BIOENGINEERING PROFESSOR GINA BERTOCCI (BUR-TOCH-EE ) AND THREE TEAMS OF STUDENTS DESIGNED AND CREATED PROTOTYPES FOR LUCAS WITH OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE ON THE INTERNET, THEN THEY USED CUTTING EDGE 3-D PRINTING FACILITIES AT U OF L. THEY CAME UP WITH 3 HANDS FOR LUCAS AND DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER HE TRIED THEM OUT.
(Lucas Abraham/Given Bionic Hand) "i'm happy that i have this hand because i've never had a robo hand before and now i can pick up with this hand."
SMALL THINGS MANY OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED.. A BIG DEAL FOR MOM AND DAD.  
(Rachel Abraham/Mother) "The most exciting part was seeing him catch that ball and throw it with that arm for the first time."
(Erik Abraham/Father) "Just a minute ago, he waved to me and he waved with the robo hand which he's never done before."
(Alyssa Hoeper/Student) "To see his face light up with a smile and everything it was indescribable, it was amazing that we actually influenced somebody's life."
LUCAS CAN CLOSE THE FINGERS WITH A FLEX OF HIS WRIST.  THE BIGGER ORANGE AND BLACK HAND IS GREAT FOR THROWING A BALL OR HOLDING A CUP... THE RED AND BLACK SPIDERMAN HAND CAN PICK UP SMALLER THINGS.  THE GREEN HAND GLOWS IN THE DARK AND EVEN HAS A FLASHLIGHT.
(Lucas Abraham/Given Bionic Hand) "It was really cool when I walked into school and everybody was like 'whoa! Look at that hand, it's super cool."
LET'S JUST SAY THE BOWEN ELEMENTARY STUDENT GOT A LOT OF REQUESTS... NOT FOR JUST HANDSHAKES.
(Lucas Abraham/Given Bionic Hand) "They wanted to do a fist pump, a high-five and shake it."
(Connie Leonard/Reporting) "And you were able to do it all, right?"
(Lucas Abraham/Given Bionic Hand) "Yes, today is a very special day for me,"
(Connie Leonard/Reporting) "How come?"
(Lucas Abraham/Given Bionic Hand) "I've never been on TV."

Instructional Links

Interactive Diagram: National Institutes of Health, Bionic Man

http://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/bionic-man

Video: What Is 3D Printing and How Does It Work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vx0Z6LplaMU

News Article: Science Online, Reuters, Bionic Hand Uses Smart Wires to Mimic Muscle Fibers, July 22, 2015

http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/ReutersNews/8?reutersId=226658&q=bionic hand

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