http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/ Engadget Comments for Otto Bock's prosthetic C-Leg cleared for battle http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 5:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 5:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 5:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 5:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 5:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/
http://www.cinemarati.org/files/grindhouse.jpg]]>Jul 19th 2007 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/
http://z.about.com/d/worldfilm/1/0/D/t/planet24.jpg
]]>Jul 19th 2007 5:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/I was in the U.S. military in peace time, and am fierecely patriotic, but this makes me take a step back and go "Whoah".

Think about it: Previously, injured warfighters that lost a leg could get a prosthetic leg to help walk again.

THIS leg not only gets the warfighter a new leg, it enables him to keep fighting. At first glance, you might say, "This is great for the professional soldier that doesn't want to give up his profession due to a wound like this". Okay, fine, I agree.

And then I play this forward in my mind another, oh, 30 or 40 years. First we start replacing a soldiers legs with advanced prosthetics. Why stop there? Make it bullet/shrapnel proof, and make them BETTER than the original leg. Arms too, I suppose. A mechanical heart and lungs impervious to gas attacks, artificial eyes that can see better than normal ones, and don't forget the new neural ram we saw on Engadget awhile back.

Some may say, "Bring on the cyborgs" and I have been a proponent of cyborg type technology that would be an option for people that wanted it... but now that we have prosthetics to keep guys in the fight when their wounds have earned them a heroes rest--- I don't know. I have to be honest, this scares the living shit out of me. It's facinating, and it petrifies me all at once.

Who can envision the scenario of the impoverished in some country making the choice in the future, "Well, I can join the military and be given fake legs in return for cash/citizenship/etc. After all, I am dirt poor with no hope out, and its only my legs. Plus, they are better than real ones!"

This worries me, I read this and it raised the hackles on my neck. I know it was made with good intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. ]]>Jul 19th 2007 6:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 20th 2007 1:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 6:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 7:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 9:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 10:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 19th 2007 10:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 20th 2007 12:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 20th 2007 9:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/
Seriously, I don't see the US Government footing (no pun intended) the bill for this one when they can't even keep VA hospitals roach free.

Still, kick-ass technology.]]>Jul 20th 2007 4:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Jul 24th 2007 9:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Aug 14th 2007 1:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/19/otto-bocks-prosthetic-c-leg-cleared-for-battle/Aug 25th 2007 11:07PM