Johnny Matheny uses APL's Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) to take a drink

Revolutionizing Prosthetics

We led a flagship Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-funded effort to develop an advanced prosthetic arm, applying our robotics, neural interface, and fabrication expertise to create a thought-controlled artificial limb that duplicates the movements of the human arm and hand. The team included scientists and engineers from thirty organizations.

Our Contribution

Revolutionizing Prosthetics was an ambitious multiyear program—funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)—to create a neurally controlled artificial limb that would restore near-natural motor and sensory capability to individuals with upper-extremity limb loss and spinal cord injury.

APL led an interdisciplinary team consisting of other Johns Hopkins laboratories, government agencies, universities, and private companies to implement DARPA’s vision of developing the world’s most advanced upper-extremity prosthesis.

Related Work

Learn more about our ongoing work in neural interfaces.

Related Areas of Impact