ARM / Arm Prosthesis Race
Imperial ARM
United Kingdom
About the Team
The Imperial College is starting at CYBATHLON with teams in different disciplines. Scientists from the Neuromechanics and Rehabilitation Technology group led by Prof. Dario Farina, as well as industrial partners, and a dedicated pilot are working together to develop a new arm prosthesis. PhD Student Irene Mendez is managing the team which was founded in 2019. "We want to build an arm prosthesis that empowers users and satisfies their everyday needs. Our pilot Conrad helps us a lot, together we have learned a lot and through his motivating and driving nature he makes our work a joyful experience,” she says. The team members are developing an integrated solution that combines sensing, control and mechatronics to provide a sense of natural movement. “We believe in Conrad’s performance; he learns quickly and has the potential to reach one of the top ranks," Irene closes.
Imperial ARM
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Imperial ARM
United Kingdom
About the Pilot
“Since I was a little boy, the research around prostheses has involved me. As a result, I was always looking for more functionality and was often disappointed,” says Conrad Bona who was born without a left hand. At CYBATHLON, he participates in a prototype developed by scientists of the Imperial College. “In my everyday life, I can’t use this prosthesis because it is only a prototype and not yet approved. But I would if I could. The London-based Canadian is running a small investment fund. He is fascinated by being part of a development team. “It’s great to see how an idea on paper turns into a prototype I can test. I like our dynamic nature, as a multinational team we bring together many different disciplines which add up perfectly,” he enthuses.
Conrad used to stand in football stadiums regularly and is longing to breathe the air of competition again. "I am looking forward to d-day where perfect interaction is essential. For me, CYBATHLON is a unique competition, scientists are asked to solve a problem and cast new light on it. This leads to innovative and interesting approaches and finally to solutions, which benefit me and everyone else like me."