Canadian "Bionik" AMO Arm chosen as James Dyson Award finalist

Toronto — A Canadian-invented prosthetic arm that’s controlled by brain signals is being recognized by the James Dyson Award. AMO Arm and its two Canadian inventors – Michal Prywata and Thiago Caires – have officially moved on to the final Top 15 round of finalists in the prestigious, international engineering award. Prywata and Caires’ invention was selected from a competitive field of 550 inventions from 18 countries.

“AMO Arm is a prosthetic limb that is controlled using brain signals,” explains the team. “AMO Arm replaces an invasive, costly and lengthy surgical procedure, dramatically improving the quality of life for amputees.”

Prywata and Caires have already turned AMO Arm into a successful business venture which includes development of assistance devices for paraplegics, various types of amputations, and non-invasive blood glucose meters for diabetes patients. The Ryerson Biomedical Engineering students have built a company, Toronto-based Bionik Laboratories Inc., and are currently securing their first round of investor funding.

On November 8, 2011, inventor and innovator James Dyson will select the top scoring design. The winner will receive receive GBP 10,000 (for the student or the team) and GBP 10,000 for the winner’s university department.
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