Artificial muscles let cadavers (and someday paralyzed humans) wink with the best of 'em
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted January 25th 2010 2:29PM
posted January 25th 2010 2:29PM
The above contraption, aside from looking really uncomfortable, is the latest advance in electroactive polymer artificial muscle technology. Using soft acrylic or silicon layered with carbon grease, EPAMs contract like muscle tissue when current is applied -- making 'em just the ticket for use in UC Davis's Eyelid Sling. Billed as the "first-wave use of artificial muscle in any biological system," the device is currently letting cadavers (and, eventually paralyzed humans) blink -- an improvement over current solutions for the non-blinking, which include either transplanting a leg muscle into the face or suturing a small gold weight into the eyelid. Look for the technology to become available for patients within the next five years.
I'll be back (wink)
Bionics ON!!!
Update: Will be controlled by the iBlink app on the upcoming but unannounced Apple Tablet
I am willing to bet that late a night, a few of the lab rats find female cadavers and get some of their muscles to contract.
@Showbiz
Sign me up!
So THIS is how they made the Thriller music video with the zombies...
Finally, the mystery is solved.
It would be terribly embarrassing if this thing malfunctioned. Nobody would take anything you say seriously -_o
I foresee this becoming a common med school prank in the near future.
I'm sure paralyzed people the world over are rejoicing at this news.
@MONKEY
They are dancing over it already.
@onlymyrailgun awww
What if that battery melts or explodes?! O_O
@richb93 ouch, then they would need the Borg to repair it :)
I have mobius syndrome and while i can close my eye lids, i cant force them shut, so this'll be great for me, one day. plus maybe it can work for the rest of my face which is paralyzed . I will finally be able to smile or show emotion.
@das boot sorry to hear that. Don't feel bad though, ever since humans started reproducing for social reasons our genome has been clouded with poor genes. Even since humans introduced modern medicine to reduce infant mortality, many people survive that would not have otherwise survived to reproduce and pass on strange defective and weak gene's. Its not your fault and I hope that science will help to overcome this issue. I might recommend a book "The Brain That Changes It's Self". I was born with gene's that affect liver enzyme productions so I started to research gene informatics and learns some surprising things. Hopefully our science will address these problems if we can focus on moving forward away from greed driven processes and towards processes that serve the interests of our collective future as a species :) If that includes hybridizing organic tissue with digital systems, then I would love to have a "time machine" plug in for my memory!
@das boot
This post caught my eye (no pun intended), too, because I was born with Bells Palsy, so the muscles on one side of my face are underdeveloped, resulting in a crooked smile, and the inability to blink.
I had the gold weight inserted into the eyelid when I was 20, and it serves it's purpose, though I don't really like the look of it.
I discussed specifically the idea of having new muscle inserted into the face, but the scarring would have been too much (I'm trying to be an actor) and they couldn't guarantee that the result would be better...
Wonder if this would be similar to that, in terms of risk vs result?
~Trav
(If you want to see me & my performances, go to www.youtube.com/sivartis)
Sarah Palin ?
imagine the fun that was had when someone not aware of the tests on dead bodies walked into the room
I want one of those for my funeral
@TMC LOL
@TMC
I'll be there for yours if you'll be here for mine.
@onlymyrailgun
No promises :P
It'd be creepy enough dealing with dead bodies, but dead people that can wink/blink?? ::shudder::
i'm waiting for the genitialupgrading version of this
@Phen
Yeah...but it sucks that you have to press a button to activate...
XD
i i its steve jobs!!!!
eye slate!!!!
If they can only make one for an ear. I'm sold.
I like how to use standard phillips screws to attach it to your head.
now after watching way to many movies in my life I already see 5 ways this can go wrong and about 10 ways this could be awesome.
I want to attach this to a clapper switch :D
I know a zombie when I see one! Kill it with fire!
Personally, I try not to blink too much because it seems flashy. But when I do, I enjoy it.
"I am bender, please insert girder"
This product was brought to you by the Umbrella Corporation.
The future I've been waiting for is becoming a reality.
Awesome.I've been looking to upgrade my lids for a while now.
Was admittedly odd to see this while doing some reading in Shields Library today at UCD. Not surprising that we have cool research going on here, there is quite a bit. Just not the school I expect to see sourced on engadget.
Go Ags!
I'm sure Thom Yorke of Radiohead is overjoyed.
This makes me want to get a job at a funeral agent....set it up on corpses in open casket funerals... :D
OMG winking cadaver wouldn't that just creep the hell out of you if you saw this? I would never step foot in a morgue again!