Nicky Ashwell blooming with bionic hand

A woman has cycled for the first time since being fitted with ‘the world’s most life-like’ bionic hand.

Nicky Ashwell, 29, from London, can now carry out tasks with both hands, such as carrying her purse and holding her boyfriend’s hand.

Ashwell, who was born without a right hand, had an immobile cosmetic prosthetic.

Now she has an anatomically accurate new hand, developed by prosthetic experts Steeper, who say it is a bionic breakthrough that uses Formula 1 technology to deliver an “unrivalled level of precision and natural movements”.

The hand, which weighs the same as a bar of chocolate, has small proportions for women and teenagers and is built around an accurate skeletal structure, with miniaturised components that provide true-to-life movements.

Ashwell is now learning to carry out everyday activities, such as using cutlery and opening her purse, that most people take for granted.

Ashwell, a product manager at an online fashion forecasting and trend service, said: “When I first tried the Bebionic small hand, it was an exciting and strange feeling — it immediately opened up so many more possibilities for me.

“I realised that I had been making life challenging for myself, when I didn’t need to.

“The movements now come easily and look natural — I keep finding myself being surprised by the little things, like being able to carry my purse while holding my boyfriend’s hand.

“I’ve also been able to do things never before possible, like riding a bike and lifting weights.” She was fitted with the hand at the private London Prosthetics Centre.

Ted Varley, technical director at Steeper, said: “Looking to the future, there’s a trend of technology getting more intricate. Steeper has embraced this and created a smaller hand, with advanced technology that is suitable for women and teenagers.

“An accurate skeletal structure was firstly developed, with the complex technology then specifically developed to fit within this, in order to maintain anatomical accuracy.

“In other, myoelectric hands, the technology is developed first, at the expense of the life-likeness.”