- Alexander “Avi” Davidson is testing a bionic hand.
- The LUKE arm connects to his nervous system allowing thought-controlled movement.
- Davidson’s trial faces funding issues due to NIH budget cuts under President Donald Trump.
SALT LAKE CITY — In a galaxy far, far away, Luke Skywalker, in a tiff with a close family member, lost a hand. So, he got an artificial replacement and moved on with his heroic life.
Simply science fiction? Not anymore.
Alexander “Avi” Davidson, a therapist from Tampa, Florida, has been visiting the Utah NeuroRobotics Lab at the University of Utah this year to try a bionic hand that, like Skywalker’s, is connected to his nervous system. He controls it with his thoughts and receives a sense of touch from his artificial fingers…