Bluetooth-equipped prosthetic legs help double amputee walk again
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 25th 2008 2:34PM
posted January 25th 2008 2:34PM
As we've seen, there's plenty of different solutions out there for controlling prosthetic limbs, but the artificial legs now helping Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill walk certainly have to rank up there with the most inventive, and they don't even rely on brain control. Instead, the legs employ tried and true Bluetooth technology, which has previously been used to allow a single prothestic leg to mimic the individual's other leg but, in this case, is being use to allow one prosthetic leg to mimic the other. To control them, Bleill simply applies force with his thigh muscles to get things moving or slow them down, with built-in motors in the legs allowing him to walk longer without getting tired. As you can see in the video available courtesy of CNN at the read link below, that setup appears to work remarkably well, and Bleill hopes he'll soon get to the point where he needs just one cane before eventually ditching them altogether.
"and they doesn't even rely on brain control."
'nuff said. Please fix the grammar.
Apparently the writer's hands don't rely on brain control either.
With "30 Rock" in reruns, I think Tracy Morgan's dabbling in tech blog writing.
thats actually great and no one try to make a joke about the legs
The only thing I was thinking about was whether or not someone could make a BT joystick...you see where I'm going.
Mamma called them my magic shoes!
New this war was good for somethin' . . . advancing bionic technology. Seems most new tech developments come from war and bionic men will be this one's legacy.
So George W. will bring about the apocolypse.
I'm just waiting for some hacker to hack into the bluetooth communications and send some guy running.
Or better yet, make him dance on a table.
my god. i must say i spit out my juice and laughed my ass off. good show!
bluetooth has to be one of the worst new technologies out. Its been a few years and it just doesnt work well
What rubbish! Bluetooth is a wonderful and functional technology that was invented TEN YEARS AGO (1998). You obviously don't know much about it's practical uses or it's technical merits. Yet you find the time to bitch about it on Engadget, typical.
So, do the legs support A2DP?
This is not a joke but does this mean this guy cannot walk during in-flight because you are required by law to shut off all wireless equipment.
I mean, are his leg signals shielded so that it doesn't interfere (or get interfered) with other external signals (FCC Compliance)?
Good question...."Please sir, you will have to check your legs at baggage claim..."
And you think he would prefer wires between his legs? I'd rather not if it were me. No other wireless technology would be FCC safe either! Unless you're thinking of using infrared?? Either way there's always the *wheelchair* option on a flight. And I believe in the person in question would much rather walk this way than complain on Engadget :)
Immediately after this press briefing, Lance Cpl. Bleill submitted a job application with OCP, based out of Old Detroit.
I'd hate to play him in a game of Wii Soccer.
Too soon?
Batteries? Kinetic? what happens if the juice runs low when hes walking somewhere? Still I suppose better than not being able to walk.
What happens when one legs batter dies mid step? Does the other leg mimic stopping mid step and the poor guys left stuck on the ground where ever he was till someone runs over with some double As?
ROBOCOP
Haha yeah just waiting to see the gun pop out of the leg.
In 3 weeks they will be sold by WowWee for 99 dollars, and you should see the Demo dance when they Wake Up.
... bluejacking FTW
Unfortunately, A2DP isn't supported, so only hopping is possible.
What happens when you pair the legs with your phone?
You get to choose the "Dance Tone" you do when your mother or your sister calls, each can be different for whom ever is on your 5 list.
The only thing better than BT-enabled legs? Chuck Norris-enabled legs...
I wonder if they have an OBEX profile for a round-house kick to the face.
Are we getting closer to Ghost in the Shell-like limbs? And, maybe sometime not too far from now, entire bodies?
I will surely like to see how things like this turn out! The exoskeletons some companies are developing also look promising: the times to come are promising, sure.
Great, now send him back to iraq and let's see if we can't develop a bluetooth head/brain next, make sure it has glowing eyes.
Can you also take the thing off and make calls with it like Agent 86?
I wanna see him walk when he gets hacked. ^_^
This is fine as long as he doesn't try running in the olympics...
Stage 1 in development of RoboVeteran
This is a tremendous advancement in prosthetics, and should be a mandatory congressional approval for disabled war veterans.
Insurance companies should provide assistance to non-veterans who have lost limbs in acidents.
tHIS IS A TREMENDOUS ADVANCEMENT IN THE FIELD OF PROSTHETICS. cONGRESS SHOULD MANDATE THIS FOR WAR-WOUNDED VETERANS WHO HAVE LOST LEGS AND ARMS, AND INSURANCE COMPANIES SHOULD ACCEPT THIS IN CASES INVOLVING ACCIDENTS INVOLVING NON-VETERANS.