Trying her hand at competition

The woman whose right forearm was crushed by an industrial punching machine at an electric fan plant in 1992 didn't resign to self-pity, but embraced her fate and made a go of running her own restaurant business in Suzhou.

She started to practice eating, writing and carrying things with just her left hand.

After the plant was shut down, Xu found that her disability hampered her chances of landing a new job, so she opened her business, which has lasted for more than a decade and hires several employees.

Despite her successful business, Xu had always longed for the same mobility she once enjoyed before her accident.

"I bought a nonfunctional prosthetic hand for aesthetic purposes once, but it was really hot to wear it in summer," she recalls.

After readily accepting Hu's offer, she started to frequent the Suzhou institute.

During her interactions with Hu, Xu found the engineer to be very attentive and he constantly adjusted the mechanical hand to ensure her comfort.

"It would feel better each time, and the mechanical arm became more flexible," Xu says.

At the same time, she was in fact doing Hu a big favor.

"In the development process, there were actually many problems, but Xu cooperated with me every step of the way," Hu says.

"She also gave me detailed feedback on the problems she encountered during use, which made my adjustments more precise."

For example, Hu shortened the length of the prosthetic by 2 centimeters based on Xu's height to make it easier for her to fetch things with it.

He also paid special attention to the weight of the mechanical arm, considering Xu often has to carry heavy bags of food for her restaurant business.

In addition, Hu made a point of bringing down the costs, so that the arm is more accessible to a larger number of people in the future.

Currently, the cost of this robotic arm is half that of other prosthetics on the market, according to Hu.

As Xu got increasingly proficient in using the mechanical arm, she and Hu decided to test it at the Cybathlon.

Hu says it has been his goal to participate in international competitions related to the field.

"I can test my work while also being able to see other such designs, both domestic and international," he says.

Although they passed the competition with flying colors this time, Hu says his team has found many areas for improvement in the future.

"For example, the assistive device worn on the left hand could be removed to improve the overall aesthetics for the wearer," Hu says.

Moreover, since people suffer different degrees of injury and amputation, their preferences also vary, making mass production of the arm almost impossible.

Hu says his team will deal with those problems in the future.

"We'll try to satisfy a few subjects first, before reaching out to more," he says.

Currently, the Chinese team is setting its sights on the Cybathlon Challenges 2024, which will present 10 more complex assignments.

Hu considers it an incentive for him and his team to keep optimizing their product.

"We will target the key technology breakthrough points of neural prosthetics and continue to delve into the replication of the movement perception function, enabling the use of more comfortable and affordable smart hands," Hu says.