Bionic Arm Provides Hope for Amputees

Static-MT writes to mention a CNN article about what doctors are referring to as the first thought-controlled artificial limb. Arm owner Jesse Sullivan has two prosthetic limbs, and the left one is an advanced prototype in development by the folks at DARPA. From the article: "Sullivan's bionic arm represents an advance over typical artificial arms, like the right-arm prosthesis he uses, which has a hook and operates with sequential motions. There is no perceivable delay in the motions of Sullivan's flesh-colored, plastic-like left arm. Until now, it has been nearly impossible to recreate the subtle and complex motion of a human arm."

Comments

The next step

[rob_squared]

What I'd really like to see is the other end of the equation, actual touch perception. And I don't mean if you feel the shock when hitting something with the arm, I mean feeling textures, or perhaps it'd be easier to start off with hot/cold sensors, since we know how to do that with existing equipment.

Re:The next step

[giblfiz]

I know this was a joke, but actually it's pretty interesting. She doesn't feel it on her chest she feels it on her arm (the one that isn't their anymore). The weird thing is that their are parts of her chest that you can poke her in, and she will feel it in her arm (so its sort of the opposite of what you were suggesting)

This, of course is the result of some pretty cutting edge surgery.

Only The Begining

[loose electron]

Medical electronics are just entering a new age.

Research now ongoing that I am aware of:
-- Transponder system to provide electronic relay between severed spinal cord sections.
-- Artificial eye that connects to the optic nerve.

Those two are "out there" with no products out in time for christmas. :)

However there are heaps of things now on the market (pacemakers, insulin pumps, etc, etc)
and more to come. All for the good.

Now the Inevitable Question is...

[terrahertz]

When will this technology cross the line from being restorative (for amputees) and become (for super-soldiers) augmentative?

Don't think DARPA hasn't already put this on the projected timeline.

Bionics

[Dan Slotman]

I think there is great future in bionics. In addition to limbs as discussed in this submission, scientists have various approaches to bionic sight as well. This subject is truly fascinating. Here is a BBC article on a different project.

Interestingly and unfortunately, much advanced and successful bionics research is being done in South America because of restrictive laws in more typical countries. While I understand the need to protect patients, research for a paper I wrote two years ago indicates that the most successful scientists are pragmatically drawn away from first-class research institutes.

Major Kusanagi? Is that you?

[vertinox]

So when do get full prosthetic bodies?

Or at least one like hers?