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New prosthetic legs let amputees feel their foot and knee in real-time
There's been a lot of research into how to give robots and prosthesis wearers a sense of touch, but it has focused largely on the hands. Now, researchers led by ETH Zurich want to restore sensory feedback for leg amputees, too. In a paper published in Nature Medicine today, the team describes how they modified an off-the-shelf prosthetic leg with sensors and electrodes to give wearers a sense of knee movement and feedback from the sole of the foot on the ground. While their initial sample size was small -- just two users -- the results are promising.
ICYMI: Smart measuring leggings, 3D-printed Adidas and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-421397{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-421397, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-421397{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-421397").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: LikeAGlove's new smart leggings that measure your body, then match you to the perfectly-fitted pair of jeans just went on pre-sale for $40. A new camera that reminds us of Lytro because of post-photo focusing abilities uses spider eyes as inspiration for its rig of 16 lenses with different focal lengths. But, it'll cost you at least $1,300. So soak that in for awhile. Meanwhile Adidas wants to 3D-print midsoles that are designed specifically for customer's foot contours.
Bionic leg climbs stairs with ease
As advanced as prosthetic feet and legs have become, they're frequently lousy with stairs. You usually have to reconfigure your limb to make the climb, even if it's just for a few seconds. That won't be an issue again if the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's efforts pay off, however. Its researchers have built a new bionic leg that lets you climb stairs, kneel and otherwise move freely without straining yourself. It revolves around a control system that tells what you're trying to do and adjusts automatically, letting you focus on walking instead of terrain changes. The leg is only in a very limited test run backed by the US Army, but it's expected to become a commercial product that helps amputees of all stripes. [Image credit: Ann Simon/Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago]
Researchers tout progress with brain-controlled robotic legs
While some mind-control technologies may not amount to much more than gimmicks, there's also plenty of serious research being done in the field -- particularly when it comes to artificial limbs. So far, the majority of that work has focused on robotic arms, but a team of researchers from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach, California have now made some progress with a robotic leg prosthesis controlled by EEG signals. As you might expect, things remain a bit limited at this point -- not amounting to much more than the ability to start and stop -- but the researchers say they've been able to achieve a 100 percent response rate with no "false alarms," and that the results are promising enough to begin tackling additional degrees of freedom like turning and sitting. What's more, while the system has so far only been tested on able-bodied individuals, the researchers hope that it will eventually be able to aid those with spinal cord injuries and aid in rehabilitation. You can get a quick look at it on video after the break.
Enter at Your Own Rift: A look at Update 1.2
With a rowdy Dwarven "ha ha, YES!" (does anyone else think that cheer was voiced over by Ed McMahon?) and a flash of coin pouches, Update 1.2 arrived in RIFT this past week. It was a rather meaty update, with new content, some well-deserved zone improvements, and the much-discussed looking for group tool. In this week's Enter at Your Own Rift, we'll take a look at a few notable changes that came along with the update -- for better or worse.
Researchers take one step closer to neural-controlled bionic legs for safer mobility
We've seen our fair share of prosthetic arms and computer interfaces operated with little more than the firing of a synapse, but legs? They're a different story: balancing and propelling a sack of (mostly) flesh and bone is a much more complicated task than simply picking up a sandwich. Thankfully, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Center for Bionic Medicine is now one step closer to thought-controlled lower-limb prosthetics. As pictured here, the researchers' early simulations showed that amputees could control a virtual knee and ankle with 91-percent accuracy, by way of pattern recognition software to interpret electrical signals delivered through nine different muscles in the thigh -- patients think about moving, thus lighting up the nerves in varying patterns to indicate different motions. The ultimate goal is to hook up bionic legs through the same way, which would offer a greater range of motion than existing prosthetics, making tasks like walking up and down stairs safer. Now all we need is a quadruple amputee willing to pick up a badge and slap on an eye-tracking microdisplay.
iCub gets upgraded with tinier hands, better legs
We're pretty familiar with iCub -- the humanoid robot modeled on a two year old -- around here. Just because we know him well, though, doesn't really change the fact that we get the slightest chill running down our spine every time we're reminded of his existence. Well, iCub's getting an upgrade which includes newer, lighter legs which will be more impervious to damage, and smaller hands. That's right, the youngster, who is about toddler-sized, has had until now, the hands of an eight-year old: pretty embarrassing for the little fellow. The new hands are the right size, and have the correct dexterity as well. Regardless, he's still a little creepy, but as you'll see in the video after the break, impressive none the less.
"Bionic" goose happy to have new leg, disappointed by lack of retractable laser cannon
Not wanting to let Betty the gosling goose meet an untimely fate, a UK vet outfitted the anatidae with a bionic leg, allegedly the first operation of its kind in the world (not counting Robot Chicken, of course). She's currently learning to walk again at nearby Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital at Buckinghamshire. Does she now possess super speed, the ability to make large vaults without using her wings, or a super powerful kick? All signs point to no, but a new lease on life has gotta count for something, right?
Wacky Yurex odometer grabbing thighs on April 24th
Without question, Maywa Denki's Yurex is the oddest, most bizarre odometer that we've ever had the pleasure of seeing. The USB-enabled garter actually straps to one's leg in order to gather pertinent statistics, and while we highly doubt that serious athletes will even give this a shot, we're darn sure 3,000 nerds will snap up the limited supply when they become available on April 24th. There's still no word on price, but go ahead and start saving just in case it's far, far more than you had previously imagined.
Yurex: the stat-tracking, song-generating odometer for those with twitchy legs
If you're the sort who unconsciously twitches your leg when lost in thought, only to snap out of it abruptly when you realize the table in the conference room is shaking and everyone's scowling your way, you might be interested in this upcoming product from Maywa Denki, the crazy folks who love inventing "nonsense machines." It's called Yurex, a USB-enabled garter that straps to your leg and counts the number of times you twitch during the day, displaying your running tally on a 10-digit LCD. When you get home you can sync the device up to a PC, which will calculate your own personal rhythm and, get this, create a little song based on your "creative beat pattern." The idea is you can listen to this song, twitch your leg in concert, and boost your brain power to new heights! You'll even be able to chart your restlessness against others online once the things go on-sale in January but, with only 3,000 of them set to be made, you'd better get that order-clicking finger moving too.[Via medGadget]
New Blacksmithing patterns from the Beta
Elizabeth Harper was able to snap a few screenshots of the new Blacksmithing patterns from the game last night. The items all require at least level 75 and are of superior quality. That's good news for those that are looking to craft gear as they level – which can be a viable alternative to fill in certain missing pieces.You can browse through all the latest patterns below in our gallery. For a quick analysis however, take the piece that is featured in the right hand image of this article. They're tank legplates that have 1661 armor, 57 strength, 84 stamina, and 55 defense. No sockets or anything else like that. Let's compare it to the T6 warrior legs, which have 24 agility, 78 stamina, a red socket, 40 def, 41 parry, and 32 block value.%Gallery-28675%
Otto Bock's prosthetic C-Leg cleared for battle
It's been quite a while since we've heard anything new on the C-Leg, but German firm Otto Bock has now unveiled a sleeker, stronger, and more military-approved version for those in need of a new leg. The microprocessor-controlled knee joint is "the standard prosthesis issued to US fighters who have lost a leg above the knee," offers up a number of "modes" to best suit your current activity, and includes a wireless remote for switching between those modes. The intelligent system within takes data samples of your gait 50 times per second in order to best adapt to your needs, and the internal hydraulics promise "optimal response" no matter how strenuous or demanding the chore. Of course, buying a leg that seemingly puts these natural ones to shame won't run you cheap, as the newest C-Leg will reportedly cost somewhere in the $30,000 to $40,000 range to have it delivered and fitted.[Via Wired]Read - C-Leg used on American soldiersRead - Product Page
The DS Life: Leg Show
The DS Life is a new weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handheld and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at gmail dot com.This week's gam-filled shot comes from "Asianleggy," a professional photographer whose collections you might already be familiar with, depending on how deviant your tastes are. Step past the post break for the full image and some notes on his previous work.
