Rocket-Powered Bionic Arm Successfully Tested

amigoro writes "A rocket-powered bionic arm has been successfully developed and tested by a team of mechanical engineers at Vanderbilt University as part of a $30 million military program to develop advanced prosthetic devices for next generation of super-soldiers."

Comments

Rocket-Propelled Bionic Arm

[Eponymous Bastard]

I first read that as Rocket-Propelled Bionic Arm and thought, what's this? Mazinger Z?

Then I read it again and, it's not much better. Off to RTFA...

Re:Rocket-Propelled Bionic Arm

[Masami Eiri]

Same thing I thought... "ROCKET PUNCH!" What's next, missile-launching bionic breasts?

I don't know what the rocket adds...

[akpoff]

but I'm sure I want one.

Re:I don't know what the rocket adds...

[Spy der Mann]

but I'm sure I want one.

Surely you didn't read that in a "power enhancement" spam, did you?

ROCKET PROPEL YOUR MANHOOD WITH BIONIC IMPLANT - As seen on TV!

Re:I don't know what the rocket adds...

[Xiph]

then take a look at it at the original story It's actually a solid state hydrogen peroxide H2O2, it is the steam that drives powers the mechanics.
I guess it could be considered rocketry in that it's solid to gas transition. Also, it's what the astronauts use in spacewalk jetpacks

I was part of the beta testing group for this arm

[Anonymous Coward]

I used it to give myself a dutch rudder, and it was pretty good

Super Soldiers

[batquux]

FTA:

a miniature rocket motor can lift (curl) about 20 to 25 pounds Wow, they'd almost be able to carry a weapon.

How steampunk

[The-Bus]

Goldfarb's power source is about the size of a pencil and contains a special catalyst that causes hydrogen peroxide to burn produce pure steam which is used to open and close a series of valves.

The valves are connected to the spring-loaded joints by belts made of a special monofilament used in appliance handles and aircraft parts and a small sealed canister of hydrogen peroxide that easily fits in the upper arm can provide enough energy to power the device for 18 hours of normal activity. Does it make a choo-chooo sound when you're punching anyone?

Try "rocket *fuel* powered"...

[vanyel]

There's no rockets involved, it's actually steam powered, fueled by rocket fuel (hydrogen peroxide).

Re:Try "rocket *fuel* powered"...

[skoaldipper]

Hydrogen peroxide? Hmm. Novel concept. When you accidentally scrape the fur off your cat while petting it, you can simply open up an arm valve nozzle and spray the flesh wound sterile.

Re:Try "rocket *fuel* powered"...

[TubeSteak]

Picture:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/resources/bi onicarm_CAD-arm_800.jpg
Caption:
A solid model of the arm shows how it works. The propellant cartridge contains the pressurized monopropellant. The liquid is routed through two flexible lines (not shown) across the elbow join and into two catalyst packs: one for the elbow and one for the foream. The catalyst increases the effective volume of the propellant by 1000 times. The propellant does not flow continuously but is controlled and routed by the servo valves just downstream. By rotating to different positions, a servo valve routes the gas to one side or the other of a gas cylinder, pusing the piston up or down. The entire operation is computer controlled, based on force and motion feedback from the joints.

Hydrogen peroxide + catalyst = hot gas (steam)
Sounds to me like they're talking about a liquid fuel rocket motor.

That pic + text was alongside the main article:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/exploration/processor.ph p?action=get_section_text&id=1311&r=664693

About halfway down they get into the details of how it works & why they call it a rocket motor. Towards the bottom you can read about the engineering challenges they faced.

This is the kind of action I expect...

[Anonymous Coward]

Bionic Commando

Aw yeah. That's some rocket-and-bionic power right there! Did you see what he did to Hitler?

Not the best idea

[fishthegeek]

Giving a rocket powered bionic arm to a 19 year old soldier thousands of miles away from his girlfriend? This can only end in tragedy.

Amazing Video

[fractalVisionz]

Check out the video on vandy's website. I love the last few seconds where the robotic are is about to cap someone!

Re:Efficiency, not so much

[georgewilliamherbert]

The term you are looking for is "Gas Generator".

Rocket is something that generates gas (usually by combustion or decomposition) and expels it through a nozzle for thrust.

Gas generator is generic for a device which produces gas. A boiler is a special case (heat + water). There are gas generators in airbags (solid azide chemical reaction), other industrial uses too.

This just uses decomposing hydrogen peroxide to generate steam. Just another gas generator.

Disabled vets, anyone?

[graft]

Didn't it occur to anyone that the reason DARPA might be interested in this is the hundreds of vets with missing limbs who have a need for better prosthetics? The military applications of this technology seems marginal at best. I'm sure DARPA is funding all sorts of military robotics research (in fact, I know they are), but this sure as hell isn't it.

Re:Disabled vets, anyone?

[Garridan]

No. The Pentagon doesn't give a shit about the vets. Don't you read the news?

Re:Disabled vets, anyone?

[phantomlord]

Seems to me the 30 million would be better spent researching ways to stops getting into so many wars. You do realize that emergency medicine (ie, that trauma center at your local hospital), plastic/reconstructive surgery, prosthetics, etc all have their roots in military need, don't you? If your kid is born with a facial deformity, be glad that somewhere along the line, soldiers had their face rebuilt after taking severe wounds. If you get stabbed in the park, be glad that the military devised a method of mobilizing, classifying, and treating wounds. If you get in an accident and completely shatter your foot beyond repair, be glad the military invested the R&D in amputation techniques and how to build a better lower leg.

Replacements will eventually get better. In fact, there was a story on slashdot a couple weeks ago about a new hand, As to the person saying the military will only get such things for high ranking soldiers, the story I saw on tv was about one Sgt. Juan Arredondo. Not only not major brass, he's hispanic as well.

Everyone has a pet project on how they'd want to spend X million dollars... and we'll never agree 100% on any expenditure. However, I feel it is our duty to return as much life back to those who volunteered to protect our lives and freedom. Also, lets be realistic, as long as people are human, they will disagree and disagreements will eventually spill over into war of some kind (be it one military against another, one gang against another or two siblings fighting that goes too far).

Re:Disabled vets, anyone?

[cortex]

I am a member of the Univ. of Utah team working on the neural control part of the DARPA revolutionizing prosthetics projects. I can tell you definitively that this project is solely aimed at helping injured veterans. They have made a point of having the scientists and engineers working on this project meet people who have lost limbs while serving their country. It was very moving and motivational to meet these soldiers in person. I am pretty sure that the technology will also be made available to civilian amputees. The people I have met from the Pentagon do care a great deal about the lives and welfare of the people serving in the military, as well as all people in general.

Or did you mean to welcome...

[Anonymous Coward]

"... our new robot underarms?"

Re:Super?

[Chris Burke]

Wars not make one great!

But rocket-powered bionic arms do!

HEY! LOOK AT BENDER! I'M BEING ENTERTAINiNG!

[Spokehedz]

Bite my shiny, rocket-powered, metal ass!

Ha-hahahaha!

Video link

[ZDRuX]

Here's the link to the video which shows the arm in action and talks a little about how it is made.