Westford Teen Develops Hand Controlled By The Mind

One day, people who lose their arms may be able to get new limbs that can move with just a thought. When that day comes, there’s a good chance a certain teenager from Westford will be responsible.

Shiva Nathan is only 15 years old, but he’s already developed a prosthesis that works with the help of brainwaves, earning him a $5,000 award in the MicroMedic 2013 National Science Competition.

Unlike other prostheses that are controlled by an existing arm or hand of the user, Nathan’s device is completely controlled by the mind and costs less than an iPad at about $300.

Outside of some current bugs with wrist rotation, Nathan says his device can basically already mimic a natural arm, and he’s working on upgrades to provide additional functionality with miniaturized versions of the Xbox Kinect.

“My uncle bought me an EEG Reader and then I learned that my cousin had lost her arm,” said Nathan. “At first it didn’t come to me, but I realized I could combine the two.”

While Nathan was surprised at his success in the contest, he’s not content with just modifications to this device, with other projects including a set of magnetized gloves as well as a study that will map where specific thoughts in the brain come from.

“I can’t tie myself to one project,” he said. “Businesses have to expand, I have to expand.”

More information on the device and the award can be found on the MicroMedic Awards website.