DeanKamen
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DARPA is giving war vets first access to LUKE bionic arms
DARPA's sophisticated LUKE bionic arm is ready for production, eight years after its development began and a couple of years after it was approved by the FDA. Before the bionic limb makes the transition into a commercial product, though, the military division is giving war veterans access to its initial production run. DARPA's Biological Technologies Office director Justin Sanchez has recently delivered two LUKE arms to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for use by a couple of vets in need of a prosthetic limb.
Segway creator's advanced prosthetic arm arrives in late 2016
Segway creator Dean Kamen's Luke prosthetic arm has been a long time in coming -- the FDA approved it two years ago. At last, however, it's nearly here. Mobius Bionics has revealed that it will offer the Luke arm sometime in late 2016. It's not clear what it will take to get one (you can register your interest today), but the features remain the same. The bionic wearable is all about offering the life-like dexterity that hasn't really been an option until now: you can hold a glass over your head without spilling it, for example, and the hand's mix of four motors and grip sensors can help you grab both very delicate and very heavy items. The odds are that getting one won't be trivial, but it might well be justified if it grants some extra freedom.
Toyota is bringing back Dean Kamen's stair-climbing wheelchair
Remember Dean Kamen's iBot wheelchair? Its uniquely adjustable wheel orientation gave patients the freedom to climb stairs and effectively stand upright, but its high price ($25,000) knocked it off the market in 2009. Well, it's poised for a comeback: Toyota is partnering with Dean Kamen's DEKA to develop the next generation of iBot. Neither company is committing to a release date, but they've shown a familiar-looking prototype (below) that gives a hint of what to expect.
FDA approves a life-like prosthetic arm from the man who invented the Segway
After years of testing, the FDA today approved a new type of prosthetic arm that its makers claim will bring a whole new level of control to amputees. Known as the "Luke" arm or DEKA Arm System, Segway inventor Dean Kamen has been involved in its development and unlike existing prosthetics, it can understand multiple commands at once, giving its wearers "near-natural" control of the limb. As demonstrated in the videos embedded after the break, tests show wearers can get back to easily performing tasks like using keys and locks, brushing their hair, removing papers from an envelope, or picking up an egg without breaking it. While we've seen demos using other mind control techniques, the one approved for sale does its magic with electromyogram (EMG) sensors activated by the wearer contracting muscles close to where the prosthesis is attached or on their feet, which an embedded computer translates into movement.
Google Science Fair 2013 kicks off, uses Hangouts to help inventive teens (video)
The Google Science Fair began in 2011 as a way to spur a love of science among teens and, just possibly, spark a few breakthroughs for science as a whole. It's back for a third year, and there's big improvements to both the competition's technology and rewards. The 2013 Fair will have Google+ Hangouts on Air for help and motivation, as well as to introduce us to the 15 finalists during the vote for a public-chosen award in August. The early talks will include Segway pioneer Dean Kamen and sea explorer Fabien Cousteau, among others. Finalists once again get prizes from Google itself, Lego, National Geographic and Scientific American, but there's extra bonuses this year for the grand prize winner: along with the $50,000 scholarship, Galapagos Islands trip and other individual gifts, the winner's school will get both $10,000 and a Hangout session with CERN. Young inventors have until the end of April 30th to submit their projects, and we'll learn about the very cream of the crop on September 23rd.
Dean Kamen files patent application for an inflatable, illuminated wind turbine
Inflatable wind turbines may not be an entirely new idea, but prolific inventor Dean Kamen has detailed one of a slightly different sort in a recently published patent application. In addition to generating energy for general use, the turbine would also be able to power a set of LEDs adorning the turbine itself, which could be used to display advertising or other information using a persistence of vision effect. The application even suggests that multiple turbines could be linked together and synchronized to form one large billboard. Of course, it is still just that, a patent application -- but it is assigned to Kamen's DEKA company, so it may not be quite as far off from reality as some other applications.
Solowheel self-balancing unicycle is as easy to ride as it is to afford (video)
If a company makes as bold a statement as "we reinvented the wheel" when introducing a gadget you know we've gotta check 'em out and see what the hubbub's about. Well, at the International Toy Fair in New York, Inventist has introduced its "Solowheel" product, which is essentially a self-balancing unicycle for personal mobility. We've seen similar products before, but the convenient carrying handle and lack of seat make it decidedly more portable than the competition. This $1,500 Segway-esque transporter uses gyroscopes to stay balanced, but places your legs on either side of a single central wheel. It's said to have a max speed of 12 miles per hour and a battery that should last for about 12 miles. We tried out the interesting device and found it entertaining, albeit quite a bit difficult. Getting started is the hardest part -- especially if you don't have anything to lean against -- but maintaining balance and still trying to lean your body to turn takes quite a bit of practice as well. That's right, there are no physical steering controls whatsoever and instead you use your body weight to control direction and speed. We could barely get going in our brief attempts on the device, but the rep on the floor was more skilled and made us realize we really need to build up our street cred. The whole concept is really a bit wild, and the company envisions people using these to do things like get to the train instead of on a bicycle or in a cab. We're not quite sure your average person is ready to slim down to one wheel in life just yet, but maybe in the future they will be. Still, as a toy it's most definitely intriguing, and you can see our horrid attempts at riding it in the video posted after the break or hit the more coverage link for another video of more skilled riders in action. %Gallery-116652%
Dean Kamen unveils revamped bionic arm and water machine, LED light bulb powered by Cree
Segway inventor Dean Kamen just stole the show at TEDMED 2010, with both a far-reaching lecture on how technology can save the developing world, and a peek at his latest projects. We'll spare you the wave of guilt for now and get right to the cool stuff, like the latest rendition of his Luke prosthetic arm and Slingshot water machine. Dean admitted he's having difficulty finding companies interested in manufacturing the former, but it's looking snazzier than when it last grabbed Stephen Colbert, with components like this shoulder piece printed out of titanium in a custom 3D printer, and it's slated to look like this. The Slingshot's seeing even more action, as Dean and company have pulled it out of the ugly box into these svelte tubes, and finally has a distribution deal (with Coca-Cola, of all companies) to bring the clean-water-from-any-source machines to developing countries in trials early next year. Last but not least, the man's got a product you might be able to afford for your home. In the quest for an item for his FIRST young engineers to sell -- a la Girl Scout cookies -- he tapped LED manufacturer Cree to produce an 450 lumen light bulb that draws just 7 watts and will retail for about $25 door-to-door. In case you're wondering, that's cheaper and more efficient than most any lamp we've seen before. Dean says they've already produced several hundred thousand of the bulbs thanks to a surprise $3 million investment from Google, and plan to have them in the hands of every FIRST kid soon. Keep on fighting the good fight, Dean. %Gallery-106215%
Dean Kamen shows off his prosthetic arm on The Colbert Report
Dean Kamen showed up on The Colbert Report last night to show off Luke -- the advanced prosthetic arm he's been working on with DARPA and the Defense Department for the past few years. Besides the requisite Segway jokes (and Colbert's are pretty funny, we'll give him that), it's pretty heart-warming to see Kamen and his crazy awesome arm hanging out with our favorite faux Republican. Just more proof that Colbert is a major gadget nerd. The video's after the break -- hit the read link if you want to watch the entire episode.
Dean Kamen wrestles with decision: should he quit the Segway?
It's something that any hard-nosed entrepreneur likely deals with when their invention / startup is on the edge of fail: should they simply throw in the towel, or forge ahead like no one's looking? The father of the Segway, Dean Kamen, is also wrestling with that question. In a recent interview, he stated: "You end up lying there saying, 'I'm not stopping. It would be an act of shallow cowardice. Or you decide to quit and you say, 'This is one of those ideas that just isn't going to work.' " He also noted that "it's not nearly as glamorous as people think to keep working on something and to keep hitting roadblocks and to keep going." On one hand, we could definitely see the rug being pulled from the two-wheeled transporter that never revolutionized public movement, but considering all the days in which it has lifted our spirits, do we really want it to?[Image courtesy of SimplyMoving]
Dean Kamen's Luke arm now has mind-control and 3D-spatial interfaces
Inventor extraordinaire Dean Kamen spoke at D today about the latest developments in the Luke arm. Not that it wasn't already impressive enough, but Kamen's company, DEKA Research, has made even more amazing developments in the arm's interface, complementing the early mechanical controls with spatial and neural interfaces. The shot above was taken of a man with transected nerves, which were interfaced directly to the arm, enabling him to delicately utilize numerous degrees of motion within hours of installation. Also in development for the Luke arm is a spatial interface (which would intelligently give some control of movement back to the arm itself), as well as a non-invasive mind interface that utilizes infrared to read neural signals through the skull. Furthermore, to lend in balance and motion with heavier usage, a new body-mounting chassis was built, featuring embedded bladders that tense up (inflate). Fricking crazy stuff. Shots from Kamen's demo videos below.%Gallery-23996%
Dean Kamen aims to clean water, generate electricity with Slingshot machine
This one has been making the rounds for a little while now (including a recent appearance on The Colbert Report, viewable after the break), but it hasn't received anything near Segway-like coverage, which is all the more curious given that it's potentially a far more important device. Dubbed the Slingshot, Dean Kamen's latest creation promises to do nothing short of producing clean water from virtually any liquid source (without filters) and generate enough electricity to power about 70 energy efficient light bulbs. What's more, Kamen estimates that the machines would cost between $1,000 and $2,000 which, given the number of people a single one is likely to help, is certainly quite the bargain.
Dean Kamen's "Luke" artificial arm gets demoed on video
It's still awaiting formal clinical trials, but Dean Kamen's so-called "Luke" artificial arm has already gone through its share of tests, which we can now thankfully catch a glimpse of courtesy of a new video from the folks at IEEE Spectrum Online. That same video also helpfully provides a few more details on the arm, including word that it can be controlled through a variety of means including foot pedals, nerves or muscles, and that it packs force feedback to give the wearer an indication of grip strength, among other suitably sci-fi-like things. Of course, none of this exactly does the arm justice, so be sure to check out the video at the read link below to see it in action for yourself.[Thanks, Sarah]
Dean Kamen's robo-arm awaits clinical trials
Apparently somewhere along the way Dean Kamen's robo-prosthestesis came to be called the Luke arm (care to guess why?), and according to the IEEE Spectrum blog, it's gearing up to undergo Food and Drug Administration trials pending DARPA's final thumbs-up, which would put the project in motion. Be sure to check out the rest of the profile of the arm's development, which is well worth the read.
Dean Kamen's robotic prosthetic arm gets detailed on video
While you'd heard the whispers of a robotic prosthetic arm being crafted by Dean Kamen and his engineering colleagues, very little details have since surfaced on the project. Thankfully, a video was captured during a recent conference in Honolulu, Hawaii where Dean was addressing the FIRST Robotics competition. During the speech, however, he segued (ahem) into a brief glimpse at what's been going on behind the scenes with the device. Shown as "Gen X - Separate Exo Control," the robotic arm was seen demonstrated by team members grasping a water bottle from a friend, picking up an ink pen and turning the wrist over in order to write, and even scratching his nose. Kamen explained that haptic response was paramount, and the "fully completed" prototype sports 14 degrees of freedom (and actuators) and weighs less than nine pounds. Click on through for the captured demonstration.[Via BoingBoing]
FIRST Robotics champion crowned, Dean Kamen elated
Tossing up autonomous robots into the galaxy to perform a variety of prototypical tests is intriguing to say the least, but a trio of high-school teams were able to bring robotic competition a bit closer to home as they took home the gold in the highly-anticipated FIRST Robotics corrivalry. Cooked up by Dean Kamen (you know, the Segway inventor) in 1989, the challenge garnered entrants from a whopping 23 countries this year, and teammates from Bobcat Robotics from South Windsor, Connecticut, Highrollers from Las Vegas, Nevada, and Gompei and the HERD from Worcester, Massachusetts were able to craft the most dexterous and successful machine. Their creation reportedly excelled at "completing simple -- albeit goofy -- tasks such as shooting balls or stacking inner tubes," but we can already imagine the evil potential these innocent bots already posses. Apparently, "thousands of screaming high-school participants" were in attendance to witness the unveiling of a new champion, and if the popularity of this contest is any indication, we could be seeing these uber-intelligent, entirely autonomous robot armies being constructed an awful lot sooner than previously expected hoped.
Dean Kamen to launch robotic prosthetic arm?
We've been hearing rumblings of inventor extraordinaire Dean Kamen's latest project: building a next-gen robotic prosthesis for soldiers wounded in the war. Details are still light, but apparently initial prototypes have been fabbed, and at TED Dean showed off an early video of the arm in action, performing such precise actions as picking up a pen and scratching a nose. Apparently it weighs six pounds, but we're sorely lacking information on this thing right now -- like whether or not you'll be able to install gyro-wheels and balance yourself -- so watch out for what some are hoping will be the new Cadillac of limb prosthetics in the coming months.
