A bionic arm developed by Nigerian brothers Ubokobong and John Amanam has been named in TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of 2026 list. The Ubokobong Bionic Arm was recognised in the accessibility category, with TIME highlighting its lifelike design for darker skin tones and myoelectric control.
The project grew from Ubokobong Amanam’s experience after a fireworks accident in 2019 left him without his fingers. According to TIME, he struggled to find a prosthetic that matched his skin tone. His brother John, a special-effects artist, made a realistic artificial hand for him. That personal solution led the brothers to co-found Immortal Cosmetic Art and develop lifelike prosthetics for other Black amputees.
Combining appearance and function
The brothers’ work later expanded from cosmetic prostheses into a functional bionic arm. TIME describes the device as myoelectric, meaning it is controlled by muscle signals. The magazine reports that the arm is now with clients in 56 countries.
The recognition places the arm among TIME’s accessibility inventions, a category that includes products intended to improve life for older people and people with disabilities. It is one of the innovations featured on the magazine’s 2026 list, rather than a ranked “winner” in a competition.
For prosthetic users, appearance can be a meaningful part of device choice. Colour, texture and resemblance to the body may matter alongside function, comfort and reliability. The Amanam brothers’ experience points to a design question for the wider industry: how can prosthetic services offer users meaningful choices in both how a device works and how it looks?
That question is relevant to clinical practice. A prosthesis should be considered in relation to an individual’s goals, residual limb, daily activities and preferences. A lifelike finish or advanced control system may be important to one person, while another may prioritise ease of use, durability, affordability or straightforward maintenance. User involvement in assessment and design helps keep those priorities central.
Local design and global access
The bionic arm also draws attention to the role of African-led innovation in assistive technology. Earlier reporting by Reuters described the development work in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and the founders’ effort to create prostheses that respond to needs they felt were not being met by available products.
Local development can create opportunities to consider skin tone, context and user experience from the outset. But recognition and technical innovation do not, by themselves, establish that a device is affordable or accessible to everyone who may benefit from it. Prosthetic access also depends on clinical assessment, fitting, training, ongoing support, repairs and the ability to meet the cost of the device.
In a separate report on the brothers’ work, The Guardian described the wider challenges of prosthetic access in Nigeria and the importance of locally driven design. It also noted that the company’s bionic limbs remained costly for many prospective users, underlining the gap that can persist between an innovation and broad access to it.
The TIME recognition brings international attention to a Nigerian-developed prosthetic and to the personal experience that shaped it. For the O&P sector, the story reinforces the value of inclusive design and direct user input. The next measure of impact will be how well the device meets individual needs in practice and how access, fitting and long-term support can reach the people it is intended to serve.
- PREMIUM TIMES: Nigerian inventor’s bionic arm named among TIME’s best inventions of 2026
- TIME: Immortal Cosmetic Art Ubokobong Bionic Arm
- TIME: The Best Inventions of 2026
- Reuters via GMA News: Nigerian firm develops bionic arms for amputees
- The Guardian: The brothers creating innovative artificial limbs for Africans
- PREMIUM TIMES: Nigerian inventor launches glove to aid stroke recovery
- WHO: Assistive technology