(March 23, 2007) — It’s doubtful any of us remembers a show called The Bionic Woman . The premise of the show was about a woman that received robotic body parts after a freak sky diving accident. Like so many of the gadgets that came out of Star Trek though, doctors and researchers at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) have developed a working bionic arm that can be controlled with the mind. Claudia Mitchell, a U.S. Marine Corp officer, became the first recipient of this bionic arm. After having had her arm severed in 2004 from a motorcycle accident she did some research at the RIC and became the perfect candidate for a six motor bionic arm. Prior to receiving the artificial arm, Mitchell underwent reinnervation surgery, a procedure that involves the transfer of nerves that once controlled her arm to a chest muscle. The nerves grow in that chest muscle, and later on when the arm is attached the recipient is able to move the arm in the direction it wants it to. In Mitchell’s case, electrodes in the arm detect movements from chest muscle and the arm moves wherever the mind tells it to. The six-motor arm allows for a wider range in motion and enables the amputee to perform tasks they couldn’t do because of amputation. It can grasp and release, but movement in the wrist has also been enhanced compared to other bionic arms. Project developer, Doctor Todd Kuiken headed arm in hopes that this device could greatly impact on the lives of amputees. In the months that followed Mitchell receiving her arm, five other male amputees have received a bionic arm. The arm will cost roughly $65,000 when it reaches the market.