A Toast to the Bionic Man

1. THE SURGERY
Doctors rewired four nerves that once connected to Jesse Sullivan's arm and transferred them to his chest muscles. Brain signals fire the nerves and trigger electrodes affixed to his chest. A computer converts the data into action.

2. THE SHOULDER
The world's only motorized shoulder is made of aluminum and carbon fiber and weighs 1.8 pounds. A 14.8-volt lithium-ion battery drives a motor and gearbox.

3. THE HUMORAL ROTATOR
This one-motor joint enables Sullivan to move his forearm close to his midline, simplifying tasks such as buttoning a shirt.

4. THE CONTROL UNIT
A 64-bit microprocessor embedded in the forearm coordinates movement of five motorized joints.

5. THE HAND
Hailing from Shanghai, the hand is the only such device to feature a flexible, motorized wrist. Fingertip sensors enable pressure sensation.