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For most of her life, Tilley Lockey has been championing the limb different community. The 19-year-old singer, influencer, and host lost both her arms to meningitis when she was just 15 months old. But rather than hide it or try to blend in, Lockey has embraced and celebrated her condition. For many years, she has worked with Open Bionics, which have outfitted her with top-of-the-line bionic hands. Now, Lockey has debuted a new pair of wireless bionic arms, offering a peek into the bright future of prosthetics.
The Hero Pro, the latest prosthetic arm by Open Bionics, is described by the company as a “bionic marvel.” Combining cutting-edge technology and functionality, this 3D-printed arm boasts being the lightest hand system. And yet, its capabilities are endless, allowing users to do things like push a stroller or carry a suitcase weighing up to 57 pounds, as well as fine motor actions like zipping a jacket, scrolling on a phone, or holding a guitar pick.
The Hero Pro, as well as Open Bionics’ other prosthetics, was designed by Joel Gibbard. His childhood fascination with building with LEGO blocks evolved into an interest in robotics and electronics. Hoping to put his talents to use in something with a positive social impact, he began experimenting with bionic hands and prosthetics, also finding inspiration in the aesthetics of science fiction. In 2014, Gibbard co-founded Open Bionics with Samantha Payne and got to work. Now, around 1,000 people around the world wear Open Bionics prosthetics.
Lockey, a self-described “Bionic Girl,” has long collaborated with Open Bionics. Not only did she wear their Hero Arm prosthetic for many years, but she has also shared her experience and thoughts with the company to improve their products. “I’ve been giving Open Bionics feedback non-stop the entire time and even though I knew the new tech would be good, I still wasn’t expecting to be shocked by the level of progress,” Lockey told Somerset Live.
Gibbard and Lockey debuted the Hero Pro on the British TV show This Morning. There, Lockey explained that the arms have two muscle sensors—squeeze to close, flex to open—making them fairly intuitive to use, with many grip levels available. The hands are also completely wireless, so they can be detached and will still follow the motions the user indicates.
“The arms launched today are so much stronger,” Lockey said. “I can remove my own hand and have it crawl across a table and back to me controlling it via the wireless sensors in my socket. You just can’t imagine how epic this tech is. I now have 360 rotation in my wrists, I can flex them too. There literally isn’t a single other arm that can do this. No other arm is wireless and waterproof, and it’s faster than everything else and it’s still the lightest bionic hand available. I don’t know how they’ve done it. I’m so much stronger than I’ve ever been.”
To stay up to date with new prosthetic arm developments, you can follow Open Bionics on Instagram, and to learn more about their products, visit Open Bionics' website.
Influencer Tilley Lockey, who lost her arms at 15 months old, has debuted a new pair of wireless bionic arms, offering a peek into the bright future of prosthetics.
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Lockey and Joel Gibbard, who designed the Hero Pro arms, presented them on British TV, showing off their amazing capabilities.
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The hands are completely wireless, meaning they can be detached and they will still follow the motions the user indicates.
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Watch Lockey demonstrate how she uses her new arms and how they work.
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Open Bionics: Website | Instagram
Tilly Lockey: Instagram
Sources: Tilly Lockey at Open Bionics; Hero Pro at Open Bionics; Our story at Open Bionics; This Morning on Instagram; Bath teen helps design worlds most advanced bionic hands in UK first
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