The world of bionics and prosthetics is evolving at lightning speed. What once seemed like science fiction is now becoming a reality. Fully articulated, customized appendages are the new normal, and many can be 3D printed at home. It’s likely that one day a prosthetic arm may be indistinguishable from an arm of flesh and bone. But why stop there? What if we could use human-machine integration to not only make people’s lives more normal but also advance our own evolution? Angel Giuffria, an actress with an artificial arm, famously said "What if I don't want a hand? What if I want a tentacle?" That might soon be possible. In a recent video, The Guardian profiles three amputees and their personal journeys to design and create their own prosthetics and their futures.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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