Bionic limbs enable legless man to walk again

If you ever question whether or not technology is enriching our lives or contributing to the greater good, you need only glance in the direction of modern medicine to get your answer. Take Peng Shulin, a man from China who had the lower half of his body severed in a tragic accident -- for years he has been bedridden, but recently doctors have engineered an ingenious device that is allowing him to walk again. While there isn't a lot of information about the technology, it appears that Mr. Shulin's body is placed into an egg cup-like casing which is connected to two "bionic legs", and through the use of a downsized walking frame he is able to gain locomotion and move freely. Doctors report that Peng is -- unsurprisingly -- "delighted" with the device.

[Via Medgadget]

[NHAnimator @ Jul 13th 2007 2:07PM]

Just incredible. Thank you science.

[Jeremy K. @ Jul 13th 2007 2:09PM]

Awesome!

[BandB @ Jul 13th 2007 2:13PM]

Good on ya for reporting this. Sometimes we need a areminder that all our fanatism about our mobile devices and consol/HD wars matter so little with persective.

[JP @ Jul 13th 2007 3:01PM]

Agreed.

[J @ Jul 13th 2007 4:12PM]

woah, I'm Jeremy K. I guess its not that uncommon a name combo, just the first time I've ever seen it....

[rockintom @ Jul 13th 2007 2:19PM]

Oh holy god, that is the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

[Boynamedsue @ Jul 13th 2007 2:21PM]

but seriously. that is cool. but they really need to find a different color for the cup apparatus that his torso sits in.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Jul 13th 2007 2:22PM]

I don't understand, 60% of his lower-body is gone? No penis or anything?!

But, yes, another miracle thanks to technology! I bet he must be extremely happy to walk on his own!

[mrhappi @ Jul 13th 2007 4:43PM]

Hopefully for him the 40% of his lower body that is left IS his penis.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Jul 14th 2007 12:54PM]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

I got lowest ranked?

Well, I hope I didn't upset anyone. It was a honest question, ffs!

Stupid liberals.

[danny @ Jul 13th 2007 2:26PM]

nice sneakers.

[Ali @ Jul 13th 2007 2:40PM]

haha..I have the exact same pair of shoes

[daedalus @ Jul 13th 2007 2:26PM]

Pimpin' kicks brohan

[danny @ Jul 13th 2007 2:27PM]

ditto, owe me a coke.

[Joshua @ Jul 13th 2007 2:27PM]

This beats E3 coverage all to hell. Thank you for that!

[Simon @ Jul 13th 2007 2:32PM]

Am i the only one who thought he resembled a mii from wii bowling?

[saq @ Jul 13th 2007 10:23PM]

Are his bionic legs being controlled by his central nervous system? If so that is pretty damn impressive!

[Matt Noble @ Jul 13th 2007 2:37PM]

lol good shout, i was gonna say he looks like a Mii

[Matt @ Jul 13th 2007 2:43PM]

For year's he's been bedridden? Don't they have wheelchairs in China?

[Neal @ Jul 13th 2007 5:06PM]

that was my immediate thought when i read that.

[Matt @ Jul 13th 2007 5:31PM]

In communist China the chair wheels YOU!

[Matt @ Jul 13th 2007 10:17PM]

I just read that he was bedridden for TWELVE (12) YEARS!!! That's unbelievable!

Obviously we don't know the whole story, but as long as his wounds were healed down there, I don't see why he couldn't have used a wheelchair, as many of you guys have pointed out... Something smells fishy in China.

I wonder if he can pull a rickshaw while wearing this gear... :p

[fabulously @ Jul 14th 2007 6:06AM]

He can't sit on his own for 12 years, so he can't SIT on a wheelchair, ok? Now with the help of doctors, he could sit on his own three months ago. And now, he could "walk" by the new technology...

I see, you guys can't show your pities on a miserable man.

[r19578 @ Jul 13th 2007 2:44PM]

wheels are more reliable than these legs, aren't they?

[Sotheby @ Jul 13th 2007 2:44PM]

I think they owe some royalties to Humma Kavula

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hitchhikers-history-22.jpg

[paloooz @ Jul 13th 2007 2:47PM]

lol

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 13th 2007 2:48PM]

"ingenious device?"

No. It doesn't even have a revolutionary multi-touch screen!

[cr0ft @ Jul 13th 2007 3:02PM]

Instead of what appears to be a really limited use device they should have just bought him an iBot, the not-a-wheelchair wheelchair-like ;) device he's invented. That would elevate the guy to proper standing height when used on two wheels, and would leave his hands free to do something else rather than hang on to handles in front of him.

It's great that he's getting help with mobility, but those "bionic" "legs" look pretty silly for day-to-day use.

Of course, that wouldn't have allowed China to use the poor guy as some sort of public relations spectacle... but maybe I'm overly cynical.

[cr0ft @ Jul 13th 2007 3:04PM]

Oops.

I really meant to write "Dean Kamen" where I wrote "he has invented", but I guess a synapse or two fired in the wrong direction. My bad.

[Ordeith @ Jul 13th 2007 3:12PM]

or...... they could have just put him on top of a Segway...

?

[spil @ Jul 13th 2007 3:33PM]

I second the Segway idea.

To improve upon that, there could be two "sets" of segway bottoms, and it could do a wheely to be on only one set so that it is tall like a normal person, and the wheel sets could rotate over eachother so he could go up stairs and stuff. I think that there's some robot that does that or something similar to that, at least.

[SteveMB @ Jul 13th 2007 3:11PM]

It's the GI Joe action figure, the Bionic Man! But this guy is cooler because the Bionic Man was from the 70's, not the 60's, which was the best decade for GI Joes. Sorry if it's a bit off-topic, I love vintage GI Joes.

[Alex R @ Jul 13th 2007 3:13PM]

Whether or not you believe in hell does not determine its existence.

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 13th 2007 3:17PM]

You beat me to it Alex... amazing how people live in their own imaginary worlds that they create themselves.

[Comacozi @ Jul 13th 2007 3:18PM]

yeah but can he play doom?

[Spirit @ Jul 13th 2007 3:24PM]

I literally lol'd at that comment.

Gadgets can be split into two categories - Can play Doom, or cannot play Doom.

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 13th 2007 3:40PM]

Actually I think hes IN doom...

http://iddqd.ru/pic/kartinki/doom4.jpg

[michas_pi @ Jul 13th 2007 4:11PM]

Holy crap, I, too, lol'd HARD at this comment.

[Galley @ Jul 13th 2007 4:19PM]

He probably still gets more action than me.

[Boynamedsue @ Jul 13th 2007 3:26PM]

hopefully a world with hell is the one you refer to as imaginary.

[kojo87 @ Jul 13th 2007 4:14PM]

looks like he's sporting a pair of Adidas Race-Lo

[Revrant2394 @ Jul 13th 2007 4:18PM]

Wow, that's pretty wild.

I love how PC everyone is being too, and rating down people who aren't PC, reminds me of basic cable.

[MarkG @ Jul 13th 2007 4:21PM]

Couldn't they have made them a bit, y'know, LONGER?

[guns @ Jul 13th 2007 4:24PM]

Ha, Look at the look on his face! That is so cool. This is the best thing I've seen all day.

[Marek @ Jul 13th 2007 5:02PM]

Seriously...
screw what this contraption does/doesnn't do, just look at how freakin happy he is!

[Emceay @ Jul 13th 2007 4:54PM]

That, by far, is the funkiest cyborg I've seen yet. I wanted to give him dap as soon as I saw this picture.

Big ups to Peng Shulin!

[Joseph Y @ Jul 13th 2007 5:02PM]

Just prop him on top of a large rc car... or maybe even fit his little egg cup thing onto a toddlers ride on toy.

Serously though, this is pretty cool.

[Rainier @ Jul 13th 2007 5:09PM]

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man...."

Steve Austin ain't got nothing on Peng Shulin! I'm glad that the human spirit continues to carry the strength and imagination to aid those less fortunate a better quality of life. I proudly salute you.

[srw @ Jul 14th 2007 5:08PM]

more like:
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man.. but do to budget cuts we can only afford $129.78 .."

[Phil @ Jul 13th 2007 6:12PM]

That's cool. He looks really happy.

But the very first thing I thought of was Mr Potato Head. If I saw him walking down the street I would probably giggle to myself. But not in a bad way, you know the way you giggle about funny things other peoples kids do.