The moment people no longer accept their own biological weaknesses as a given, but begin to optimise their bodies with technical components, the boundaries between artificial machines and natural organisms start to dissolve. The Esper Hand is a prosthesis for hand amputees that practically merges with its wearer by learning to predict their intended movements. To do this, the prosthesis reads the electrical impulses sent by the remaining muscle groups and translates them into finger and hand movements. The more intensively the hand is used, the better and faster it recognises the different muscle signals in order to carry out appropriate movements. The advanced functionality of the prosthesis is conveyed by the design, which emphasises the beauty of the technology in its materiality, but also makes it look very natural in its anatomical form. What is striking about the design is that it is not only lighter and smaller, but overall also more detailed and refined than comparable models on the market. “Until now, female body shapes have hardly been taken into account in prosthetics,” says Dima Gazda, CEO and co-founder of Esper Inc. “We wanted to fill this supply gap.” The available sizes therefore not only differ in the product dimensions, but also feature subtle gender-specific adjustments in the design. One of the key mechanical advantages of the Esper Hand is its modular design approach. It consists of only 12 modules, but these can be exchanged quickly and easily, which makes the Esper Hand predestined for individual adjustments and future updates.
Statement by the Jury
The Esper Hand achieves a comprehensive functionality that comes astonishingly close to the natural movement of the hand. Its self-learning technology makes an important contribution to enabling users to carry out everyday tasks independently. Its technically elegant appearance makes the prosthesis a lifestyle product that the user wears with confidence. In addition, the design ensures gender-specific shaping by sensitively addressing anatomical differences.
