It’s easy to take body parts for granted, even body parts as tiny as our fingers. Brushing your teeth, typing up a letter, or simply holding a cup of coffee can be next to impossible if you were missing one finger. This is the reality that many people around the world live with, and the reality that Touch Bionics is working to improve with the world’s first-ever Bionic Finger.

The ProDigits Bionic Finger, developed by Touch Bionics, lets people who have lost fingers regain functionality in their missing appendages. Tailor-made to fit each person, the prosthetic relies on pressure-sensitive switches and force-sensitive resistors and touchpads to “read” muscle signals from the residual finger or palm and move the bionic finger(s) accordingly. Users have claimed that operating the bionic fingers felt second-nature after only five minutes of use.

Unfortunately, the technology is so young that a ProDigits finger will cost upwards to $70,000, putting it well out of reach of workers who are at the highest risk of losing a finger. Until the health care system improves or the technology evolves, we may have to wait until bionics become a viable form of replacing lost limbs.

Via: Daily Tech, Geeky Gadgets,