Smart ArM: a customizable and versatile robotic arm prosthesis platform for Cybathlon and research.

The paper reports a device platform, not a randomised clinical trial or a patient outcome analysis. The example studies are described as setups, but their results are not reported in this paper. The main Cybathlon user was one person with right forearm agenesia, so the findings cannot be generalised to typical amputees or to clinical populations. The current iteration is not suitable for daily use outside the laboratory, mainly because battery life is about 2 h of continuous use. Operation requires a trained developer or experimenter present to monitor the device and manage failures. The pilot reported that the platform’s weight distribution increased muscular fatigue during training sessions. The muscle sites used for electrode placement in the pilot may not match the anatomy of a typical upper arm amputee. The current forearm design is not appropriate for direct adaptation to a trans-radial socket.

The supplied text names Agence Nationale de la Recherche as the funder. It does not provide an author conflict-of-interest statement.

Do not read the Cybathlon demonstrations or the 5 kg load test as evidence that Smart ArM is a clinically effective prosthesis for routine patient care. The paper describes a research platform, not a tested clinical intervention, and the current device is not suitable for daily use outside the laboratory because of battery life and the need for trained supervision.