Posted on 03/08/2017 6:35:57 PM PST by brucedickinson
In the first episode of Humans+, Motherboard dives into the world of future prosthetics, and the people working on closing the gap between man and machine.
We follow Melissa Loomis, an amputee from Ohio, who had experimental nerve reversal surgery and is going to Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Lab to test out its latest Modular Prosthetic Limb, a cutting-edge bionic arm funded in part by DARPA. Neuro-interfacing machinery is a game changer in terms rehabilitating patients, but what possibilities do these advancements open for the future?
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
I hope you take the time to watch this video. This is the BEST robotic arm I have ever seen. Mind-controlled and with sensory feedback. Basically, they have to do some work on the amputee's stump, to find the nerves/muscles to hook up to the sensor ring. Once the computer learns from the individual, you're fitted for an arm. Add some fake skin and while wearing clothes, I don't think many people would even notice. Just amazing, amazing technology.
Even if it can “touch and feel” I doubt that it will ever feel enough gratitude to give a handie. On the other hand it is obviously lacking a mouth so it would probably be a better girlfriend than 70% of the women out there.
I can say that even though this hand looks like it was assembled out of discarded razorblades.
If you’re of sufficient years, it could be called a Steve Austin arm. :-)
What??? The Heck??? Is that???
That would be a Fembot from “The Six Million Dollar Man. “ If you think about it, today, a mexican can walk into an American emergency room with the chagas, and rack up a six million dollar tab. But that sounded a lot better in the 70’s
I would have let the dogs have their way with the racoon.
I know, what a crappy way to get a new amazing bionic arm
That’s true. And here I am, paying up the wazzooo for insurance and can’t afford to use it what with the copays and deductables, just walking in to an Emergency room costs me $1300 bucks. A few years ago, it was $100. Last year it was $200.
All these freeloaders crying about loosing their healthcare? My wife and I, for all practical purposes, might as well have none.
Opening statement for the plaintiff, Saul Goodman:
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this is a ‘products liability’ case.
My client was fitted with one of these dangerous instrumentalities.
One night while watching Bay Watch re-runs, he pulled his **** off!
Now I ask you ... “ blah blah
and just try getting a bionic arm. Next time I’m in a horrible car accident and attacked by raccoons, I’m going to mutter mi nombre es Paco to the EMT’s and Elon Musk will download my consciousness into a supercomputer
Mi nombre es Paco. Mi nombre es Paco....hmmm
Main problem with prosthetics is not getting all these fancy Fingers and crap to grab
The issue the main issue in getting a stable permanent attachmem of the prosthetic to your stump that is equal to a real arm.
You can make the the ability to grab something better but went you pick up or move something with any weight behind IT and your prosthetic arm twist or pull or shifts on your stump your screw
I just got a new arm with with the latest and greatest attachment system to the and its still shifts
The medical community and Prosthetics are always working on the wrong end and need develop a better attachment of the prosthetic to the stump.
Could they do a metal clasp that mounts into the bone of the arm and then attach it to the prosthetic limb?
I admit I’m not up on all the available methods of attachment.
A future option might be a implant into a bone that extrudes through the skin where the skin bonds to the implant using the biological process that the skin of a male deer bonds to the bone of the antler. The artificial arm could then attach to the implant. They did this for a cat already:
http://www.popsci.com/fda-approves-prosthetic-legs-anchor-directly-bone
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