GILFORD – A state-of-the-art robotic arm being developed at DEKA Research and Development in Manchester has enabled double amputee Chuck Hildreth to perform feats he never thought he would be able to accomplish again.

Hildreth, 44, lost both arms 26 years ago while painting a power substation; 15,000 volts of electricity surged through his body. His right arm was burned so badly doctors had to remove the shoulder blade and were able to save only a stub of his less-damaged left arm. He also lost three toes on each foot.

After years of using and discarding a number of clumsy and uncomfortable prosthetic devices, Hildreth is now one of three men taking part in the testing of the new prosthetic device known as the "Luke Arm" for its resemblance to the one Luke Skywalker was fitted with in the second "Star Wars" movie.

"I'm very fortunate to be part of this project. It's one of the things I never thought I'd see in my lifetime,'' Hildreth said.

Chuck Hildreth of Gilford is helping test a robotic arm being developed by DEKA Research and Development of Manchester. (DIRK VAN DER MERWE)

►Click here to view video of Chuck Hildreth trying out the prosthetic arm at Dean Kamen's lab in Manchester.

Within hours of being outfitted with the arm, he was able to pick up pieces of wood, use a cordless power drill and even pick up a sheetrock screw and use the drill to put it into a sheetrock board.

Using the arm, he has picked up and eaten grapes, peeled a banana without squishing it and even nabbed tiny pieces of candy such as Skittles and M & Ms.

"I never thought I'd be able to do anything like this again," he said.

Hildreth said the arm is the most functional and durable prosthetic device he has ever seen. He's hoping he'll soon be able to use it at home, where he says his wife has many "honey-do'' projects waiting for him.

He became involved in the $18.1 million Pentagon-funded project last July after being referred to the program by Next Step Orthopedic Prosthetics in Manchester.

DEKA, which was founded by Dean Kamen in 1982, has produced such futuristic devices as the Segway transporter and a wheelchair that climbs stairs. Those successes led the U.S. Department of Defense to award a contract to DEKA two years ago as part of its "Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program." The goal is to develop a prosthetic that functions almost identically to a natural limb and can be controlled by brain signals.

Stimulus for the program came from the growing number of amputations resulting from injuries in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones, according to the Department of Defense.

Hildreth said the cost of research and development for such projects is so high that there's no economic incentive for privately funded research, which led to the Pentagon decision to fund the research.

He said that one of the goals of the project is to rejuvenate nerve endings so that they can provide the kind of biological feedback needed to make the limb function as normally as possible. That's difficult to achieve in many cases because nerve endings die within a year of amputation.

A new development allows chest nerves to serve as a routing device for the bio-feedback.

DEKA's device also provides a non-invasive approach through use of a vibrating sensor that sends messages that help the user control the robotic arm.

Hildreth said the robotic arm is held in place by straps attached around his body. It functions much like a human arm, with all five fingers capable of moving, a wrist which flexes and a full range of motion in the arm and shoulder.

A joystick footpad in his shoe allows him to use pressure at different points to control the movement of the arm while the vibrating sensor lets him know how much pressure the hand is exerting.

"It's really easy to learn how to use. Within hours an amputee can start using it and doing things that seemed impossible a few years ago,'' Hildreth said.

He has twice appeared before Congress to demonstrate how the robotic arm works and said that the project is now under review by the military for continuing funding for another three years for clinical trials. The bionic arm also needs approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before it can be manufactured and marketed; and is expected to cost in excess of $100,000 for each arm.

If it receives funding and the necessary approvals, it is expected that amputee veterans will be wearing the new "Luke Arm'' as early as next year.

"It's a wonderful feeling to be involved in a project which could mean so much to so many people by helping them to lead more normal lives again. It's pretty exciting to be a part of this,'' Hildreth said.