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So, there we go. LEG Cyborgs.

#1

Frank

Frank

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/09/25/bionic-man-amputee-controls-artificial-leg-with-thoughts/

Dude has an honest to goodness thought controlled bionic leg. He's almost a cyborg. It integrates into the rewired nerve endings on his leg. Fucking super cool. Deus Ex future.


#2

jwhouk

jwhouk

"We can rebuild him."


#3

Terrik

Terrik

He never asked for this.


#4

Zappit

Zappit

Terrik said:
He never asked for this.
Click to expand...
That's what his insurance company tried to say...:awesome:


#5

Bowielee

Bowielee

Haven't we had this technology in artificial limbs for quite some time already?

I mean, this is awesome and all, but not really new.


#6

Frank

Frank

The first time it's been in the US on a leg according to the article.


#7

Bowielee

Bowielee

Yes, but this technology has existed for artificial arms for quite some time.


#8

GasBandit

GasBandit

I'd think the environment for arm use would be a lot more forgiving... with a leg, the timing has to be exactly right, every time, or you fall over and hurt yourself. An arm you can just keep moving till you got it.


#9

strawman

strawman

Bowielee said:
Yes, but this technology has existed for artificial arms for quite some time.
Click to expand...
Typical control systems on arms use muscles in the chest. The electrodes detect muscle impulses and move the arm accordingly. They don't move the existing nerves around or try to attach to them at all. In fact, while we can attach electrodes to nerve endings, the nerves die in a very short period of time (hours to days) and you have to cut them further back to get fresh nerves for the electrodes. So we still don't ever interface with nerves directly, except for short term studies.

But what they did here has two important differences: 1) they used the nerves that actually map to lower leg functions and 2) they attached them to different portions of the hamstring muscle.

Now they can use typical muscle sensing techniques to see nerve activity for the nerves that used to control the lower leg functions. He doesn't have to learn, "I want to close my hand, so that means I flex this particular chest muscle."

After connecting the nerves to the hamstring they probably went through a process where they hook the sensors to a computer, told him to move his ankle, toes, knee, etc, then mapped the sensor location to the right motor in software.

So, to him, moving his foot is just as simple as it was before it was amputated.


#10

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

stienman said:
Typical control systems on arms use muscles in the chest. The electrodes detect muscle impulses and move the arm accordingly. They don't move the existing nerves around or try to attach to them at all. In fact, while we can attach electrodes to nerve endings, the nerves die in a very short period of time (hours to days) and you have to cut them further back to get fresh nerves for the electrodes. So we still don't ever interface with nerves directly, except for short term studies.

But what they did here has two important differences: 1) they used the nerves that actually map to lower leg functions and 2) they attached them to different portions of the hamstring muscle.

Now they can use typical muscle sensing techniques to see nerve activity for the nerves that used to control the lower leg functions. He doesn't have to learn, "I want to close my hand, so that means I flex this particular chest muscle."

After connecting the nerves to the hamstring they probably went through a process where they hook the sensors to a computer, told him to move his ankle, toes, knee, etc, then mapped the sensor location to the right motor in software.

So, to him, moving his foot is just as simple as it was before it was amputated.
Click to expand...
The next step is to develop some sort of sensation feedback, so that sensors in the artificial leg can detect touch and deliver that directly to the nervous system.

You know... after they figure out how to put a robocop style gun inside it.



#11

Bowielee

Bowielee

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/18/4...sthetic-arm-lets-amputees-feel-to-be-trialled


#12

Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Bowielee said:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/18/4...sthetic-arm-lets-amputees-feel-to-be-trialled
Click to expand...
No no no, gun first, then feeling.

That thing needs a mega buster.


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