• First mind-controlled Bionic Legs to improve lives of millions.
    48 replies, posted
[url]http://www.nbcnews.com/health/first-mind-controlled-bionic-leg-groundbreaking-advance-8C11257732[/url] [QUOTE]After losing his lower right leg in a motorcycle accident four-and-a-half years ago, 32-year-old Zac Vawter has been fitted with an artificial limb that uses neurosignals from his upper leg muscles to control the prosthetic knee and ankle. The motorized limb is the first thought-controlled bionic leg, scientists at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago reported Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. “This is a groundbreaking development,” says lead author Levi Hargrove, a biomedical engineer and research scientist at RIC. “It allows people to seamlessly transition between walking along level ground and going up and down stairs and slopes.” When Vawter thinks he wants to move his leg, the brain signal travels down his spinal chord and through peripheral nerves and is picked up by electrodes in the bionic leg. Unlike robotic models currently on the market, the prosthesis allows a normal, smooth gait no matter the incline. Although the cost hasn't been determined, a version could be available to the more than one million Americans with leg amputations within three to five years, the Chicago scientists said. “It makes a phenomenal difference,” says Vawter, a software engineer from Yelm, Wash., whose right leg was amputated through the knee in 2009 [/QUOTE] Technology is amazing. Another step towards transhumanism.
Science!
Science is afoot!
[QUOTE=SIRIUS;42309472]Science is afoot![/QUOTE] [IMG]http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-cvr-130925-leg-gif-03.gif[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4083/jensenfirma.jpg[/IMG] [B] Soon[/B]
I thought while reading the title that it would be mind controlled bionicles.
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;42309483][IMG]http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/g-cvr-130925-leg-gif-03.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE] That's actually a really smooth action for a prosthetic. But this stuff, neural interfaces and such, has been talked about for a long time now. One of the main problems with it is that it's just really hard to detect signals from the nerves with non-invasive procedures. It makes me wonder how they've rigged up this one. Direct nerve contact is typical for this sort of thing, where they embed electrodes under the skin that equipment in the prosthesis picks up and amplifies. If they've managed to work this one with indirect stimulation, that'll be the interesting part.
How is it powered? It would suck for that to have a short battery life...
[QUOTE=zakedodead;42309556]How is it powered? It would suck for that to have a short battery life...[/QUOTE] I'd say batteries. There's probably some sort of power pack on up the leg, maybe in the cup that holds the residual limb.
[QUOTE=woolio1;42309550]That's actually a really smooth action for a prosthetic. But this stuff, neural interfaces and such, has been talked about for a long time now. One of the main problems with it is that it's just really hard to detect signals from the nerves with non-invasive procedures. It makes me wonder how they've rigged up this one. Direct nerve contact is typical for this sort of thing, where they embed electrodes under the skin that equipment in the prosthesis picks up and amplifies. If they've managed to work this one with indirect stimulation, that'll be the interesting part.[/QUOTE] Near the end of the article it says the electrodes can cause chafing from prolonged use.
So it is indirect... That's interesting. After reading the article, it seems like it reads electrical signals from the muscles themselves rather than the nerves, and that the nerve was rerouted to fire those muscles. So not a leg for everyone, but a leg for people who have had such a surgery done.
Science is fucking awesome
Once we figure out a way to get this shit working with human bioelectricity, we'll be closer to the cusp of perfection
[QUOTE=Dr. Fishtastic;42309757]Once we figure out a way to get this shit working with human bioelectricity, we'll be closer to the cusp of perfection[/QUOTE] You'd have better luck with Piezoelectrics or those mechanical watch winder things. Humans don't put out crap worth of energy. We're literally less efficient than the food we eat, and if you've ever tried to gauge the relative energy density of a pop tart, you'll know what I'm talking about.
[I]"Hey robotic leg, kick that fucker in the face as hard as you can."[/I]
[QUOTE=SIRIUS;42309472]Science is afoot![/QUOTE] As well as a leg.
[QUOTE=woolio1;42309814]You'd have better luck with Piezoelectrics or those mechanical watch winder things. Humans don't put out crap worth of energy. We're literally less efficient than the food we eat, and if you've ever tried to gauge the relative energy density of a pop tart, you'll know what I'm talking about.[/QUOTE] but but but i watched the matrix a couple of times that gives me credibility right
I'd chop my leg off if I got a free one of these.
[QUOTE=Reds;42309907]but but but i watched the matrix a couple of times that gives me credibility right[/QUOTE] Oh no, the Matrix handled it fairly well. The idea is that the humans would act as catalyst for some form of fusion, and could be fairly easily self-contained by feeding the living humans the remains of the dead ones, in nutrient slurry... The sheer amount of humans produced a fair bit of energy on their own, which acted as a backup for Skynet's main electrical production methods. Or so it goes in the extra-canonical stuff, anyway. [editline]26th September 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=AtomicSans;42310672]I'd chop my leg off if I got a free one of these.[/QUOTE] Wait. Seriously, the only thing more embarrassing than your robot leg giving out on you is a Segway faceplant.
[QUOTE=AtomicSans;42310672]I'd chop my leg off if I got a free one of these.[/QUOTE] Costs an arm and a leg. You're gonna have to pay what an arm is worth too
I can't wait to chop off my legs and replace them with robot legs, and then chop off my arms and replace them with robot legs.
[QUOTE=woolio1;42309814]You'd have better luck with Piezoelectrics or those mechanical watch winder things. Humans don't put out crap worth of energy. We're literally less efficient than the food we eat, and if you've ever tried to gauge the relative energy density of a pop tart, you'll know what I'm talking about.[/QUOTE] Now I'm curious. What IS the relative energy density of a pop tart?
[QUOTE=Mingebox;42311198]I can't wait to chop off my legs and replace them with robot legs, and then chop off my arms and replace them with robot legs.[/QUOTE] Enjoy shelling out tens of thousands-if not more than that to get them if you don't [i]need them[/i]
[QUOTE=woolio1;42310729]Oh no, the Matrix handled it fairly well. The idea is that the humans would act as catalyst for some form of fusion, and could be fairly easily self-contained by feeding the living humans the remains of the dead ones, in nutrient slurry... The sheer amount of humans produced a fair bit of energy on their own, which acted as a backup for Skynet's main electrical production methods. Or so it goes in the extra-canonical stuff, anyway. [editline]26th September 2013[/editline] Wait. Seriously, the only thing more embarrassing than your robot leg giving out on you is a Segway faceplant.[/QUOTE] ummm you do realize that the Matrix completely shit all over thermodynamics? Humans acting as catalysts for fusion is stupid as crap. Why don't the robots just synthesize whatever com- Back on topic, I remember seeing something about a prototype bionic eye system for blind people. Basically they implanted a chip in the visual centers of the brain that had an array of electrodes that would stimulate it and make you see an array of black and white dots. I'm shit at explaining so heres a video [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKAtQe78fMc[/media] The only downside is the version that I saw made the wearer look like a borg drone [editline]25th September 2013[/editline] Fucking cloudflare
Gonna get me some of these when modern medical science makes me live to a 120 and my pelvis cant support my current metal hips anymore!
[video=youtube;PidqxAAjUl4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PidqxAAjUl4[/video] This stuff blows my mind.
[QUOTE=Water-Marine;42311218]Now I'm curious. What IS the relative energy density of a pop tart?[/QUOTE] 0.8368 kilojoules, approximately. There's not a lot of energy in a pop tart.
What happens when he is walking one day and all of a sudden the power drains?
[QUOTE=theVendetta;42311926]What happens when he is walking one day and all of a sudden the power drains?[/QUOTE] Use it like a normal fake leg?
I'd gladly donate my self to science to test these limbs. I'll become limbless, fuck it, what would be more cool than being fucking robocop.
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