DARPA's Artificial Arm Comes With VR Training

An anonymous reader writes "The first prototype of an artificial limb commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency can reportedly be controlled naturally, provide sensory feedback and allows for eight degrees of freedom — way beyond the current state of the art for prosthetic limbs. Oh yeah, it also has its own VR environment to learn how to use it."

Comments

Is it possible

[DogDude]

Call me cynical, but it is possible that companies making *very* expensive, prosthetic limbs for the Defense Department that happens to have many, MANY soldiers coming back missing limbs, that the companies involved with making these things could be considered one of the defense contractors that are pretty happy about the current war-happy administration?

That would be disturbing.

Why yes they are

[pizzach]

I have an artificial leg for the last 11 years. (It was amputated when I was 12 because of bone cancer.) Talking to the doctor when He was fitting me for my newest model, I learned that development is speeding up again because of more income. Insurance companies are afraid to say "no" to more technically sophisticated (read expensive) artificial limbs with all of the returning soldiers. Insurance companies either get overly stingy or give too much. It's during periods like this that I should get a new model made.

I am happy with my handy dandy new cleg. I just wish I didn't get the feeling that I have to out think the CPU sometimes. It's taken about 8 months to not walk like a total retard, but I still haven't gotten to the point where people don't look at me funny. On the bright side, I can do roller blading and ice skating with this knee. That is a great way to pick up chicks along with my sexy leopard print socket.