In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker gets a bionic arm after his was severed by a light saber. It turns out that this fictional scenario played a role in the development of a real prosthetic.
USA Today revealed an exclusive clip from the Science Channel show Raiders, Raptors and Rebels: Behind the Magic of ILM, which details how the iconic film inspired the creators of the DEKA bionic arm.
The show, which takes a close look at the impact Industrial Light and Magic has had in cinema, will feature the revolutionary technology behind the bionic arm and the story behind it — including input from George Lucas himself. The arm, nicknamed “The Luke,” uses electrical pulses from leftover arm muscles.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
In addition to the Star Wars reference, the show will also look at how The Hulk was the inspiration behind certain life-saving plastic surgery, according to USA Today.
You can watch the clip here.
Behind the Magic of ILM airs on Science Channel on Sunday, July 19 at 10PM ET/PT.
