Prosthetic Arms for Swimming and Cycling

Prosthetic limbs to enable arm amputees to swim and cycle more easily have been developed by British and Irish designers.

Oyogu, a prosthetic arm for swimmers, allows users varying levels of resistance. The arm features numerous holes which can be adjusted to let the required amount of water pass through the arm while swimming. Closing the holes allows for maximum speed while opening them enables more experienced swimmers maximum resistance. Irish designer, Robert MacCarthy, developed the prosthetic arm after having worked as a lifeguard while studying for his degree in product design at the Dublin Institute of Technology.

Similarly, Scottish designer Andrew Flynn also comes from a background of sport having worked as asnowboard instructor while studying at the University of Glasgow. His prosthetic arm design, ProControl, allows an arm amputee to have full control over the breaking and steering functions of a bicycle. The arm includes grips which can be custom made to the dimensions of the bicycle’s handle bars. The design means that in order to brake the bicycle all you have to do is simply push the arm forward.