Sometimes not all Kings are born with a Kingdom to rule, some build from nothing to forge an empire. This is a story of two Kenyans, David Gathu and Moses Kinyua who despite dropping out of college due to financial constraints, have still created what is said to be the world’s first bio-robotic arm operated by brain signals.
David Gathu and Moses Kinyua have invented a bio-robotic arm, powered by brain signals. The arm, which is different from most prosthetic technology, works by converting signals into an electric current by a “NeuroNode” biopotential headset receiver.
Euro News reported that this electrical current is then driven into the robot’s circuitry, which gives the arm its mobility.
The arm has several component materials including recycled wood and moves vertically and horizontally.
Kinyua and Gathu said that the technology makes it possible for disabled people to drive, operate a device like a computer or a phone, and switch on or off lights by just thinking. It acts according to the way you think. If you think to lift your arm or wave, the technology will do so according to your desire,”
According to the duo African Giants, they were motivated to invent this electronic prosthetic technology during the Covid -19 pandemic. At first it was developed to help COVID-19 sanitization efforts. “When the virus hit our country, we decided to create a machine that could help us decontaminate surfaces. It can also be used in schools, restaurants, hospitals”. Kinyu told Shoppe Black
One major challenge faced by the inventors is source of funds. It remains a challenge for mass production of the prosthetic, which is still at the prototype stage. Due to this various materials from electronic dealers and various dumpsites in villages and towns across the country,” are used.
They also cited limited access to modern resources as one of their major challenges and had resorted to using chips from obsolete computer parts, wood, radio transistors, and scrap metals to build the robotics.
According to AP, more than a million people in Kenya live with disabilities, many of whom lost their limbs in accidents or to polio. Gathu said that was the reason why they developed the bio-robotic arm. “We wanted to help those people who have lost the use of their limbs, the disabled people. Our aim is to give them something that will help them or will aid them to go into their daily activities to move from a dependent person to an independent person”. He said.
Well, this interesting story highlights the fact that Africa has lots of unrealized and untapped talent that if identified and well-funded can lead to groundbreaking scientific and technological breakthroughs for the world.
