"Manhattan Project" For Prosthetic Arms

cortex tips us to a story about a nationwide effort to incorporate advanced technology into the next generation of prosthetic arms. Researchers for the DARPA-funded project are developing feedback techniques that range from sensors on the surface of the user's skin to electrodes implanted on the inside of the user's skull that intercept and interpret signals from the motor cortex. Quoting: "'Think about taking a sip from a can of soda,' Harshbarger says. The complex neural feedback system connecting a native limb to its user lets that user ignore an entire series of complicated steps. The nervous system makes constant automatic adjustments to ensure, for example, that the tilt of the wrist adjusts to compensate for the changing fluid level inside the can. The action requires little to no attention. Not so for the wearer of current prosthetic arms, for whom the act of taking a sip of soda precludes any other activity. The wearer must first consciously direct the arm to extend it to the correct point in space, then switch modes to rotate the wrist into proper position. Then he must open the hand, close it to grasp the soda can (not so weakly as to drop it but not so hard as to crush it), switch modes to bend the elbow to correctly place the can in front of his mouth, rotate the wrist into position, and then concentrate on drinking from the can of soda without spilling it."

Comments

Obvious

[rrohbeck]

Research into prosthetics always blooms during and after a war.
Of course it's a good thing for civil injuries too, but it's still a sad occasion.

Re:Obvious

[Hal_Porter]

Actually DARPA are funding a project to regrow limbs in adult mammals too

http://www.uml.edu/media/eNews/DARPA%20Braunhut%20limb%20regeneration.html

Re:Obvious

[Anonymous Coward]

Prosthetics hide the visible damage, and make it somewhat possible to function again on a physical level. But where is the influx of money for treating alcoholism, drug abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, lack of sexual appetite leading to divorce, alienation from your children, nightmares, hypervigillence leading to domestic and public violence, inability to settle causing homelessness, random startle responses and inappropriate behaviour that means you can't hold down a job, birth defects, depression and suicidal thoughts?????? (the list goes on and on ... )

War is hell and the ones who don't die are left to die every single day for the rest of their (often short) lives.

Although weapons that are _designed_ to maim rather than kill are banned we still manufacture and deploy them. Any war nerd will tell you, its well known, strategically, that if you can disable a man he's better than a dead soldier, because he keeps costing the enemy for as long as he lives.

Things were better when we fought with swords and most people died on the battlefield or a few hours later from their wounds.

The "cost of war" totted up by the bean counters is an order of magnitude out. Every poor bastard coming back from Iraq and Afganistan is going to keep on costing us, in rehabilitation, therapy, drugs, crime, social disorder, lost productivity. That's without factoring in the non-quantifiable, emotional costs, and the fact that we now have millions of angry enemies hell-bent on revenge.

This misadventure has cost us more than we will ever realize. Our economies are in ruins and still our hopeless leaders are too proud to give up the greedy addiction to oil and power.

I'm sure these guys would wish they'd never been lied to and had real arms and legs. Stories that try to put a positive spin on the ineffable horrors make me sick.

One heard saying...

[Foobar of Borg]

One recipient of a new prosthetic hand crushed his pewter goblet and proclaimed that the new prosthetic hand was "Groovy!"

Congratulations, son!

[Anonymous Coward]

Mobile Infantry made me the man I am today!

Dean Kamen spoke at TED about this

[LakeSolon]

From the summary:

Inventor Dean Kamen previews the extraordinary prosthetic arm he's developing at the request of the Department of Defense, to help the 1,600 "kids" who've come back from Iraq without an arm (and the two dozen who've lost both arms). Kamen's commitment to using technology to solve problems, and his respect for the human spirit, have never been more clear than in this deeply moving clip. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/82

Re:Dean Kamen spoke at TED about this

[north.coaster]

The online video of Kamen's talk is well worth watching. Dean is a smart guy, but even he didn't think that this was possible at first. Then he saw some of the existing technology and thought about the impact that an advanced prosthetic arm would have on these folks. Now he's one of the people making this happen.

While a prosthetic arm that allows more sensitive touch will have a positive impact on the folks who need this technology, it may also lead to spin offs in other areas. Anyone care to speculate on other uses for this technology?

"Manhattan Project?"

[Radium Eyes]

So it's an arms race, then?

Re:"Manhattan Project?"

[poena.dare]

Once again it's nice to see /.ers have a firm grasp of the situation.

Re:"Manhattan Project?"

[sqrt(2)]

Which is rare; slashdotters rarely have a leg to stand on in discussions like this.

Re:"Manhattan Project?"

[operagost]

Would you guys get a grip already?

Hmmm. Dr. Octopus?

[WindBourne]

I wonder, DARPA is doing a lot of work on doing neural interfaces, as well. It would be interesting if this could be combined to give a person more arms, esp if just temporary (say a 1 year stint). In addition, I would think that all this work on arms for ppl, will apply to pure robotics.

Re:Hmmm. Dr. Octopus?

[WindBourne]

Personally, I am not interested in the extra arm. But, if I were serving, I would like to have every advantage that I can. And considering that this is the US DOD that is funding it, they will probably consider similar ideas.

As to you last line, I am not sure how old you are, but typically as you get older your POV will change. When I was 18, I signed up for ROTC so that I could fly. My father (a decorated air force pilot and then airline pilot) talked me out of it. How? He told me to get the air force to give me a letter guaranteeing flight, since they said it verbally (this was '77; post 'nam; yeah yeah, old). Needless to say, that did not happen. Since then, I have worked on various DOD projects. In the first, the grant was for interesting biologicals research that we designed to be defensive in nature. As time went on, we realized that it was actually weaponry that we were developing (DOD had other intentions based on how they were changing our protocols). As a young man, I thought that it was abhorrent and left the project. Now, as I watch China's military building up, I know that the work that I was doing actually could make a difference. The reason is that Chinese leaders are gearing up for a war. The problem is that they have MANY times the troops levels that we have. The major thing that holds them in check is that they KNOW we have a very high tech advantage. But with their continuing theft of our military secrets and W. having tied us up in Iraq, combined with our monster growing deficits, it is only a matter of time before they are equal to us (from the chinese leaders POV). Sadly, when dictatorships or monoarchies feel threatened inside of the country, they will either collapse (like USSR), attack their ppl (Tiananmen), or attack other nations (which is what most countries do). I think that unlike the USSR, china will consider the later. If it cames down to our work being used, or a nuke, than I would want our work used. Far, far, far less damaging, but would be just as effective on a battlefield. SO why the long boring story? I am suggesting is that while you might not be interested in the military, as time goes on, you might change your mind. More so, if you have family out there.

Re:Hmmm. Dr. Octopus?

[The One and Only]

As time went on, we realized that it was actually weaponry that we were developing (DOD had other intentions based on how they were changing our protocols). As a young man, I thought that it was abhorrent and left the project. Now, as I watch China's military building up, I know that the work that I was doing actually could make a difference. The reason is that Chinese leaders are gearing up for a war. The problem is that they have MANY times the troops levels that we have. The major thing that holds them in check is that they KNOW we have a very high tech advantage. But with their continuing theft of our military secrets and W. having tied us up in Iraq, combined with our monster growing deficits, it is only a matter of time before they are equal to us (from the chinese leaders POV).

The difference you made could have been simply designing more technology to fall into China's hands, too. Look, we know China might get a little anxious about putting down its immediate neighbors, but they won't be going to war with us. In fact, war between the United States and China is nearly impossible, since neither side can afford it. Wars between superpowers across oceans are expensive and protracted by nature, which means a robust economy is required. If China starts a war, they will lose trade with America and with nearly all of Europe as well (due to NATO treaty obligations), leaving them incapable of continuing to fight. We will be hurt too, and a worldwide depression would likely ensue, but China would be crippled.

If the US starts the war or even suffers an attack from China, China could immediately release all its American currency, flooding the world market and causing hyperinflation, which would economically cripple the United States if not the entire world. Again, in the long run, no one will be able to afford continuing the war. On the other hand, were China to do so, they would cripple their own currency as well: even in a shooting war, releasing all their American currency would only be a last-ditch effort to let their own massive army wipe out an American landing, or something similar.

Even setting that aside, China's military means nothing without naval power that rivals our own. The US Navy (with NATO support undoubtedly, particularly from the Royal Navy) could undoubtedly blockade China completely.

Re:Thinking about your breathing

[YttriumOxide]

Another interesting thought on this is just how much the "subconscious" processes can still be learned. They are not fixed in stone - even remotely.

Watching my mother attempt to operate a mouse is a painful experience, but how many of us on Slashdot even think twice about the motor movements we make to move the cursor around, click on things and scroll up and down?

My mother has no prosthetic limbs, and has a good 25 years more experience than me in using her arms and hands for normal day to day tasks. On the very rare occasions she may operate a mouse, there's still a huge amount of it that is automatic and reflexive, despite the awkwardness that is visible. Now think how much would go in to a machine to emulate just her ability, let alone yours or mine.