‘Bionic’ man dies in car crash

October 25, 2010

Christian Kandlbauer (Otto Bock Healthcare)

Christian Kandlbauer, an Austrian man who became the first person outside the U.S. to wear thought-powered prosthetic arms, has died from injuries sustained in a car crash, according to an AP report. He was driving, but the cause of the accident is not yet known.

Kandlbauer was fitted with myoelectric artificial arms by Germany-based Otto Bock Healthcare. He was the the “guinea pig” for a four-year research project. The company announced in May 2010 that the technology was ready for everyday use, according to a BBC article.