People whose arms are paralysed could have their lives transformed by a Pounds 900,000 European project to create a mechanical arm.

Newcastle University, the University of Abertay Dundee (UAD) and the Free University of Berlin are collaborating with industrial companies on a project to design a lightweight mechanical structure which would fit like a long glove over the user's arm.

The project leader, Garth Johnson, reader in biomedical engineering at Newcastle, said powered wheelchair users would be most likely to benefit from the high-tech arm. Components needed to drive the system could be mounted on the wheelchair.

Around 100,000 people in Europe whose arms are paralysed either from birth or because of illness, accident and ageing, use powered wheelchairs. This figure is certain to rise as the proportion of elderly people within the population reaches one in five over the next 25 years. The project, named Mulos (Motorised Upper Limb Orthotic Systems), is funded by the European Commission's technology initiative for disabled and elderly people.

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David Carus of UAD's department of mechanical engineering said: "Manufacturing and production costs have fallen dramatically in recent years, until we have arrived at a stage where it is possible to design and make powered arms for individuals."

A mechatronic system, integrating electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering with computer control, will allow Mulos to build up users' muscle strength by applying pre-programmed cyclical movements to the joints. It could restore power to very weak or immobile arms, acting as an amplifier of the arm muscles.

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Mr Carus believes Mulos could play a significant role in preserving strength and dexterity in the upper limbs, which are prone to deterioration as people age.