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Climbing 103 Floors On a 'Bionic' Leg

Posted by timothy on from the holy-moley! dept.

An anonymous reader writes "4 years ago I read about experimental targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery on Slashdot. 3 years ago I crashed my motorcycle and had my leg amputated — at which time I had TMR done. Today I climbed 103 floors of the Willis Tower in Chicago with a experimental prosthetic using TMR. Thanks, Slashdot."

7 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Nerdy question... by Kergan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Congrats!

    Out of curiosity if you don't mind the (potentially awkward) question, how does it work/feel when you control a bionic leg? Scanning the wiki article, I sounds like it's basically plugged into the nervous system at where the amputation took place, and you had to retrain the neural system so the bionic limb responds accurately? (Complete with some level of sensory feedback?)

    1. Re:Nerdy question... by mcgrew · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't know about a bionic leg, but I have a bionic lens in my left eye. I had to practice reading to strengthen the focusing muscles I hadn't used in ten years, but the actual workings are just like with a normal 20 year old eye. even though I'm 60..

      I would imagine at first the leg would take a little getting used to, but after a while it will probably be natural to him. Except that leg looks pretty heavy.

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  2. Thanks to you sir! by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's wonderful to read such a positive and inspiring story. Bravo!

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    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  3. Enhanced robotics training by foniksonik · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wondering if the data collected from this cyborg (yes dude you're now a cyborg), could also be useful as training data for independent robotics.

    Have you ever thought of open sourcing your leg data :) Could be a huge contribution to OSS robotics. Maybe get other's with prosthetics to contribute as well; arm, hands, feet.

    --
    A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  4. A shoe question? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Great job man! I was there this weekend too and saw you at the top. I had a question actually about the shoe you use on your other leg. It had a huge sole (looked a lot like a Hoka brand trail shoe). Is that what you wear normally or did you specifically wear that for the stair climb?

  5. Re:Neural interface? by MozeeToby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The idea here is that you take all the nerves that would go to the amputated limb, and reroute them to some other muscle group. Then you hook your sensors up to the new muscle group and move the limb based on how that muscle twitches. But, since the nerves have been rewired, you don't have to think about twitching your thigh to move your calf, you just try to move your calf and the prosthetic responds intuitively.

  6. Todd Kuiken MD. is a Genius. by phrackwulf · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'd say you have Dr. Kuiken and the bionic research group at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to Thank. Dr. Kuiken is the best. Period. You can read all about him and his team at www.ric.org. Try not to slashdot em. They are doing some of the most exciting bionic and prosthetic reseach. My ambition is to work for Dr. Kuiken some day.

     

    --
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