Delicate tendrils, flowers and vine leaves twine their way up a slender green tentacle to create something incredibly special. The Vine Arm is a beautiful botanical prosthetic arm designed by Sophie de Oliveira Barata for model Kelly Knox, and is currently on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
The Vine Arm.
Containing 26 individual vertebrae that allow movement in the arm to be fluid enough to curve around objects, the Vine is controlled by round sensors in Kelly’s shoes, which sit under her big toes.
“These sensors allow the Vine to move side to side and to curve. By pressing on the sensors with different pressure, Kelly (who was born withouther lower left arm) can control the speed and direction of the Vine’s movement,” explains Sophie, who also designed two other arms for the model – Materialise, an arm with interchangeable segments, and Synchronise, “a reimagining of the arm as a piece of jewellery”.
