PDA

View Full Version : Terminator arm invented!


Dasquian Belargic
Dec 3rd, 2009, 03:39:27 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/8392111.stm



A group of European scientists have successfully connected a robotic hand to an amputee, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial limb, and control it by thought.

During a month of experiments, the patient made complex movements using only his brain. It is being heralded as a scientific breakthrough. Tom Donkin reports.


:ohno

Bad news for planet Earth, good news for any aspiring Jedi who expect to have their hands lopped off mid-combat!
Mitch
Dec 3rd, 2009, 03:41:02 PM
But... this was also done, like, seven years ago. I'm not quite sure how this qualifies as "new" news. Sure, this is the latest version of it, but this isn't the first time this has been done.
Dasquian Belargic
Dec 3rd, 2009, 03:44:40 PM
Isn't the 'breakthrough' to do with being able to control the limb with thoughts alone, and actually feel things through it? I didn't know there was currently artificial limbs that could do that (...then again I don't exactly have an indepth knowledge of artificial limbs :lol)
Mitch
Dec 3rd, 2009, 03:52:38 PM
Ahh, actual tactile sensation being transmitted back to the operator, or "the feeling of touch," is the new part.

I had somehow completely missed that, which is odd, considering my interest in the world of robotic prosthetics.

In that case, this is really cool. =)
Darth Turbogeek
Dec 4th, 2009, 05:02:25 AM
Isn't the 'breakthrough' to do with being able to control the limb with thoughts alone, and actually feel things through it? I didn't know there was currently artificial limbs that could do that (...then again I don't exactly have an indepth knowledge of artificial limbs :lol)

I'm pretty sure that it's not the first to do that.
Mitch
Dec 4th, 2009, 07:25:19 AM
I'm pretty sure that it's not the first to do that.

Actually, most all of the prior models have been able to control the motion of the robotic hand via neural sensors, but as far as I know, the sensation of touch had never been able to be returned to the operator, instead having to be watched to let you know when you touched or gripped something.

That aspect of this hand is rather revolutionary. However, the problem still lies in that this is still only a "show" item as they have not developed a way to attach it to him properly, or provide a mobile power source, as far as I can tell.