And the winner is ………

A Bristol based inventor demonstrates how technology can break through barriers to entry.

In a market dominated by specialist high end companies an inventor from Bristol has developed a Bionics robotic hand for amputees. His innovative idea has just won the James Dyson Award.

Joel Gibbard has developed a robotic hand which can be fitted in less than two days. Typically it takes months to assess an amputee and build a customised hand. Better still, Gibbard’s hand has another advantage, it costs £2,000. Rival devices will cost between £20,000 – £30,000.

Gibbard’s hand is very flexible and can be personalised and the ‘skin’ can be patterned to suit individual preferences. The new hand is likely to be of greatest benefit to children (who typically need to change their prosthetic limb twice a year, as they grow), and for amputees in developing countries.

For people in developing countries who have lost a limb, a working hand can make the difference between being able to work and starving.

Key to Goddard’s breakthrough is use of 3D printers. They have made it possible to produce customised hands at low cost.