News stories about advances in prosthetics have become commonplace in the last several years as soldiers with amputated limbs returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. But those stories often ignore the challenges associated with using those devices. The Times profiles Sebastian Gallegos, a Marine struggling to learn how to use a sophisticated prosthetic arm. Despite having surgery to amplify nerve signals in his arm that control the device, he still experiences plenty of frustration as he tries to control the prosthetic.
Gallegos’ trials are familiar to anyone with a disability who has learned to use a piece of assistive technology. While some AT is more user-friendly than others, they usually require patience to master. Whenever I finally get my implanted brain-computer interface, I expect that some practice will be necessary to make the device do my bidding.
