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Robotic Prostheses For Human Faces

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the make-them-wireless-for-fun-and-amusement dept.

holy_calamity writes "New Scientist reports on a patent application that suggests implanting polymer muscles beneath the skin of people suffering paralysis of the face to give them control of their features. The technique has already been used successfully to reanimate the eyelids of human cadavers. Movement could be returned to other facial features and even paralyzed limbs in the same way, the surgeons at University of California Davis say. The full patent application is also available on the WIPO site."

8 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Way cool by flaming+error · · Score: 5, Funny

    > The technique has already been used successfully to reanimate the eyelids of human cadavers.

    That'll make such a great party trick.

    1. Re:Way cool by shawnap · · Score: 3, Funny

      That'll make such a great party trick.

      The real trick will be getting the host to let you into the party with a corpse slung over your shoulder.

    2. Re:Way cool by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny
      So you can even give a dead person facial expressions? This technology seems to have no limits in it applications. I mean, I'll bet you could even get Keanu Reeves to display emotions.

      OK, let me correct that statement: this technology seems to have almost no limits in its applications.

    3. Re:Way cool by Kell+Bengal · · Score: 3, Funny

      You've obviously never been to one of my parties.

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  2. Robotic Prostheses For Human Feces by Roblimo · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is the advance *I'm* waiting for...

  3. Potential here! by Trillan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Before you know it, being dead won't be nearly the handicap it is now.

    What's that? I missed the point?

  4. Re:Blinking dead people! by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Partial facial paralysis hasn't done anything to Harm Sylvester Stallone's career.

    Or the rest of Hollywood, for that matter. Cosmetic paralytics like botox give the appearence of fewer wrinkles and stop microexpressions from giving away lies or other unpleasant emotions, which is funny because they often cause a zombie-like facial expression. See: FoxNews.

    Humans are striving to give facial movement to corpses while they give away their own facial expressions to look like corpses.

  5. Uncanny Valley by lobiusmoop · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Feels like there's a great danger here of falling deep into the uncanny valley, especially with facial prosthetics.

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