Man Builds Smartphone Dock in Prosthetic Arm

man born without his left arm devised a prosthetic limb to contain his smartphone, highlighting technology's increasingly important role in assisting the disabled.

Nokia C7

Trevor Prideaux of Somerset, England, asked medical and communications experts to build him a plastic arm that contained a cradle for his Nokia C7 smartphone.

"Now when I get call I can either hold my arm up to my ear or put it on speaker phone. I can also take it out if I need to. Texting is also much easier and a lot safer," said Prideaux.

The 50-year-old catering manager says it was difficult to text with just one hand, prompting him to seek assistance from technicians at Exeter Mobility Centre.

Prideaux adds he contacted Apple, requesting a blank iPhone casing to test out his idea, but says the company refused, so he chose to use a Nokia phone instead.

Prideaux' idea follows other breakthroughs in technological aids for the disabled, like the Vanderbilt leg.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University created an artificial leg from smartphone parts, reasoning that the mini-computers, with their sensors, motors and batteries, will be better able to give amputees a more natural gait.

The leg is light and holds power for three days, a breakthrough compared to other prosthetic limbs.

Also, services like the JayBee system from Txtlocal and Time Is Limited help disabled people text more easily using hand, head and eye movements.

JayBee even translates texts into voice commands as needed to signify "I need help" or "Come quickly."

An iPhone app created by Singapore's Republic Polytechnic School of Engineering reads signals from handicapped users' brains to help them move wheelchairs without physical force.

Prideaux, along with countless other disabled people, may benefit as mobile technology continues to claim a place in medical science, in both breakthrough advances and improvements for everyday living.