Paraplegic
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Wandercraft's exoskeleton was made to help paraplegics walk
There's a reason you've never seen fully autonomous exoskeletons that help the disabled walk without crutches: Building one is crazy hard. But the founders of a Paris-based startup called Wandercraft are uniquely qualified to do it. They're roboticists who happen to have loved ones in wheelchairs, giving them both the expertise and motivation to develop an exoskeleton that helps users walk again. After years of development, they're nearly ready to show it to the public, following a round of promising patient trials.
ICYMI: Tech cure for paralysis, 3D weight scan and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-687454{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-687454, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-687454{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-687454").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A smart mirror and scale combo takes a scan of your body to compare yourself to, down the line. Though we are more interested in the PancakeBot. For the first time ever, a paralyzed man is able to use his hand after an implanted brain chip received signals that helped his muscles respond. And an indiegogo project would help women deal with painful menstrual cramps by sending electrical shocks to the pain. As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
ICYMI: Farming indoors, realistic robot baby study and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-644584{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-644584, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-644584{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-644584").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: University of California San Diego researchers are using the creepiest baby robot you have ever seen (seriously) to compare how human babies get parents to respond with loving facial expressions. Canada is overhauling food production with LED lights, recycled water and conveyor belts in a way that could well be replicated in spaces across the U.S. And in a moment that makes us pause to marvel at technology, Bluetooth connected electrodes were used to help a paraplegic man walk for the first time since being injured.
ReWalk rehab exoskeleton goes home with a patient
The FDA may have only cleared the ReWalk exoskeleton for home use just two weeks ago, but it's already finding use outside of hospitals and clinics. Retired US Army Sergeant Theresa Hannigan (shown meeting the President in March) has become the first patient in the US to take one of the mobility machines home, letting her walk and reclaim much of the independence she lost after being paralyzed. The Argo-made gear is expensive to own at nearly $70,000, but the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to cover the cost of ReWalk technology for Hannigan and anyone else who's eligible to use it. The exoskeletons will have some positive side-effects, to boot -- since recipients are much more active, they reduce the chances of heart disease and other conditions that might take them back to a doctor. [Image credit: Debbie Hill-Pool/Getty Images]
Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video)
Researchers at the Braingate2 consortium have made a breakthrough that allows people with spinal cord or stroke injuries to control robotic limbs with their minds. The original project allowed subjects with motor cortex-implanted chips to move cursors on a screen with their minds, but they can now command DEKA and DLR mechanical arms to grasp foam balls and sip coffee. Researchers noted that dropped objects and missed drinks were frequent, but improved brain sensors and more practice by subjects should help. To see the power of the mind move perhaps not mountains, but good ol' java, jump to the video below.
Ekso Bionics' exoskeleton used to let paraplegics walk (video)
It's not just nuclear-powered super soldiers who will use exoskeletons -- it can also be used to help those with physical disabilities. The Kessler Foundation grabbed one of Ekso Bionics' Ekso units and gave six people with severe spinal injuries, including a tetraplegic, the chance to walk. It's part of a trial study to examine the effects of walking for wheelchair-users, to see if it's better for their overall health or if it could contribute to their rehabilitation. A wider study will begin early next year with the hope of expanding use of the gear to domestic situations in the future. After the break we've got video of the people walking for the first time since their injuries and it's hard not to find yourself feeling a little emotional at the sight of it.
Monkeys control virtual arm with their brains, may herald breakthrough for paraplegics
Monkey mind-controlled arm: It sounds like the name of an awesomely terrible sci-fi film or a fledgling grindcore group, but it's a very real phenomenon, and one that could pay significant dividends for paraplegics everywhere. Neurobiology professor Miguel Nicolelis and his team of researchers at Duke University recently devised a method by which monkeys (and, perhaps one day, humans) can control a virtual arm using only their brains. It's a concept similar to what DARPA has been pursuing with its mind-controlled "Luke" arm, with one important difference: Nicolelis' system not only allows users to remotely execute motor functions, but provides them with near-instantaneous sensory feedback, as well. Most similar techniques use electrode implants to stimulate brain activity, but this can create confusion when a patient's brain sends and receives signals to and from a prosthetic arm. Nicolelis circumvented this problem with a new interface that can read and transmit brain signals to an artificial limb, before switching to a receptive mode in just milliseconds. After designing the technology, Nicolelis and his colleagues tested it on two, electrode-equipped rhesus monkeys. One set of electrodes was placed in the motor cortex of each animal, with the other implanted within their brains' sensory regions. They then trained the monkeys to look at a three identical objects on a computer screen and to "touch" each object with a virtual arm, controlled by signals sent from the brain electrodes. Only one of the three objects had a so-called "virtual texture," which, if selected with the on-screen arm, would send a sensory signal back to the monkey's brain (while triggering a tasty squirt of fruit juice for the lucky contestant). The two rhesus species ended up passing the test with flying colors, resulting in a "proof of principle" that Nicolelis' system can send tactile signals to the brain in almost real-time. The scientists have already developed a way for monkeys to control the arm wirelessly, and are now embedding their technology within a full-body, mind-controlled exoskeleton for paralyzed patients, as well. Of course, the technology still needs to be tested on actual humans, though Nicolelis seems confident that he and his team have already cleared the most difficult hurdle: "Since we cannot talk to the monkeys, I assume with human patients, it's going to be much easier."
Paralyzed student uses robotic exoskeleton to walk at college graduation (video)
Austin Whitney hasn't been able to walk since a 2007 car crash left him paralyzed, but on Saturday the 22-year-old triumphantly strode across the stage to accept his degree from UC Berkeley. He had a little help, in the form of a specially crafted robotic exoskeleton developed by Berkeley engineering professor Homayoon Kazerooni. Kazerooni and his team designed the exoskeleton with lightness and affordability in mind, resisting the urge to load it up with expensive hardware and tethering the mechanized walker to a backpack that houses a computer and a rechargeable, eight-hour battery. As a result, the Austin walker won't enable the kind of acrobatic leaps that would make Lt. Rasczak proud, but its reduced mobility comes at a reduced cost of just $15,000. That's certainly not an impulse buy, though it's a welcomed alternative to other exoskeletons that retail for $100,000 or more. Walk past the break for a video of Whitney's momentous steps, along with a clip of Kazerooni describing his creation.
New Zealand paralympian buys first Rex Bionics exoskeleton, takes robot walking legs for a spin
Surely we weren't the only ones to wonder aloud who would be the first come up with $150,000 for a Rex Bionics robotic exoskeleton when the Auckland-based company introduced it last summer. Of course, no price seems too high for the ability to walk again, but that's still a lot scratch to get together -- and the space has been getting a lot more competitive as of late. The honor went to fellow Kiwi Dave MacCalman, a multiple medal-winning paralympian, who lost the use of his legs after sustaining a spinal cord injury while diving into a river. The 6-foot, 4-inch athlete took his first steps in over 30 years with the use of his newly-purchased robot legs -- and from the look on his face, he definitely got his New Zealand dollar's worth. If you need a quick refresher on exactly what this thing can do, check out the video after the break.
BrainGate hits 1,000 day mind-control milestone, nearly three years of pointing and clicking
Aspiring Svengalis rejoice! For BrainGate has reached a significant landmark in computational thought-control -- the 4 x 4-mm implantable chip has given a woman with tetraplegia the ability to point and click with her brain for 1,000 days. An article recently published in the Journal of Neural Engineering said the woman, known simply as S3, performed two easy tasks every 24 hours, using her mind to manipulate a cursor with 90 percent accuracy. Each day she was monitored, S3 would post up in front of a computer and continuously command the thing with her thoughts for 10 minutes. Functionality reportedly deteriorated over time, but the paper points to the chip's durability, not sensor-brain incompatibility, as the culprit. Research is currently underway to incorporate BrainGate into advanced prosthetics that could get tetraplegics like S3 up and moving again. Now, how's that for the power of positive thinking?
Rex, the robotic exoskeleton, aims to make wheelchairs obsolete
New Zealand isn't exactly known for being a hotbed of tech innovation, but this set of bionic legs might just realign that perception a little bit. The product of seven years of development work, the Rex exoskeleton is capable of supporting the full weight of a person -- making it suitable for paraplegics -- and moving him or her around in a familiar bipedal fashion. It's operated using a joystick and control pad and is simple enough for handicapped users to self-transfer in and out of. The best news, perhaps, is that it's about to go on sale in its home country this year, with an international launch following in 2011. The worst news? Probably the $150,000 (US) initial asking price, but then we'd hardly say we're qualified to judge the value of being able to walk again. Video and full press release after the break. [Thanks, Kurt and Simon]
New technology provides greater control to paraplegic pianists
Technology allowing paraplegics to operate the right pedal of a piano has been developed by a team of scientists in Heidelberg Germany, trumping earlier systems which didn't allow for half pedal or flutter variations. The device consists of a tiny remote module that's placed inside the pianist's right cheek, and a wireless transmitter and motor attached to the pedals of the piano. A small battery in the left cheek of the user provides up to twelve hours of power. The player grits their teeth when they want to control the pedal -- the module is sensitive to different amounts of pressure, which allow the pianist greater control over footing than previous tools. From the sounds of it, this thing would work just as well on a wah pedal, right?
