Making a Bionic Hand Touchscreen Friendly

Stephen Lowry shows us how he made his Bionic Hand touch screen compatible with Electric Paint

Stephen Lowry was the first man in Ireland to receive a bebionic3 myoelectric hand. After losing his right hand he spent two decades trialling prosthetics before testing out the bebionic3 which he claims transformed his ability to perform everyday tasks. With access to a gradient of grip patterns and precise movements, Stephen is driving again and has even taken up flying lessons.

Despite the hand’s success, Stephen believes there are still some limitations that can be overcome. He got in touch with Bare in 2014 after trying our paint for the first time. “The bebionic3 is a brilliant piece of equipment, but the only thing I couldn’t use was my phone, until I came across Electric Paint.”

Mobile device touchscreen technology is hinged upon the conductive properties of human skin, so proves problematic when using the silicone based hand. By using a blob of Electric Paint he made a finger of the bebionic3 conductive and could interact with the screen on his phone.

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