Scientists Are Developing the Next Generation of Bionic Limbs

When you lose a limb, the loss involves more than just the aesthetics of being one appendage down. It's everything you may have taken for granted that was easily available before, whether from the mobility of a leg, or the deftness of a trained hand. For decades, bionic limbs have advanced to offer progressively wider ranges of movement, and even basic sensation. But the gap between synthetic and original limbs has remained, staggering, sobering, real. And scientists are beginning to understand how to close the experiential gap, with the next generation of bionic prosthetics.