How close are we to Star Wars-like prosthetics?
From: Scientific & Technology Research News - 12/03/2015

Some robotic prosthetics currently in development are connected to the user
via a socket, which seals around the stump, and detects electrical signals
from muscle movements. One challenge with this technology is maintaining an
electrical connection to the muscle via sensors placed on the skin inside the
socket. For example, this connection can be lost because of sweat, which can
inhibit the prosthetic hand’s ability to function. Fabricating and
calibrating the system for a user is also quite expensive.

The researchers from Imperial College London have developed a prototype
sensor system that avoids this pitfall by detecting mechanical signals,
instead of electrical signals, from tiny vibrations produced by muscle fibres
as they move when muscles flex. These vibrations can be sensed and passed to
a robot hand to make it move in response to the user’s muscles like their own
hand. 

The technology also has a motion sensor system to detect arm movements. This
enables a user to control how the robotic hand grasps different sized
objects, through a simple sequence of muscle flexes and arm movements.

Read the entire article and view a video (3:26) at:
http://www.scienceandtechnologyresearchnews.com/star-wars-style-robotic-hand-controlled-by-muscle-vibrations

Links:
Alex helps scientists develop revolutionary technology for amputees (with
  video 3:00)
http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2016-03-04/alex-helps-scientists-develop-revolutionary-technology-for-amputees

Star Wars-style robotic hand controlled by muscle vibrations (with video 3:26) 
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_2-12-2015-10-54-38

Muscle vibrations control robotic hand
http://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/design-engineering-news/muscle-vibrations-control-robotic-hand/110947

The armband that controls an artificial hand
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/technology-38651446/the-armband-that-controls-an-artificial-hand

Related:
Mobius Bionics - Luke Arm - Advanced Prosthetic Arm System
http://www.mobiusbionics.com/the-luke-arm.html