health
'Prosthetics aren’t made for people like us': the brothers creating innovative artificial limbs for Africans
When Ubokobong Amanam lost his fingers in an accident he teamed up with his brother John, a special effects artist, to design a prosthetic that suited him – now they run a thriving business
TL;DR
- Ubokobong Amanam lost his fingers in an accident, prompting him and his brother John, a special effects artist, to design custom prosthetics.
- Existing prosthetics were found to be ill-fitting, poorly designed for African body types, and prohibitively expensive.
- The brothers' company, Immortal Cosmetic Art, creates hyper-realistic prosthetics by incorporating details like wrinkles, veins, and fingerprints.
- They are developing bionic prosthetics using electromyography for muscle signal control.
- The company aims to make prosthetics more accessible in Nigeria and across Africa, providing free limbs to some clients.
- The global shortage of assistive technology affects millions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
- Local manufacturing and community-driven design are seen as key to overcoming the challenges of accessibility, cost, and cultural relevance in assistive technology.
- African innovation in this field is shifting the trend of technology flow from high-income to low-income countries.
- The Amanam brothers' work has attracted international orders, with over 5,000 products made.