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3D-printed mesh gives man with half a skull hope for recovery
People have been patching up their bodies with foreign parts for ages now, but 3D printing has only made that process easier, faster and more emblematic of hope. Case in point: a Chinese farmer named Hu fell three stories in a construction accident, and he has a shot at a normal life again thanks to a 3D-printed titanium mesh that doctors installed where the left side of his skull used to be. The accident left Hu with impaired vision and an inability to speak or write, so surgeons at Xijing Hospital in northwest China took him under the knife for three hours to return his skull cavity to its normal shape. It's too soon to tell if his normal brain function will return, though -- doctors hope his gray matter will slowly start to regenerate now that it has the space to grow. This isn't the first time 3D printed parts have complemented someone's cranium -- doctors in the Netherlands replaced most of a woman's skull with 3D printed plastic after it was discovered that the bone surrounding her brain was slowly growing thicker and threatening her cognitive future.
iPod touch stolen, used by war vet for prosthetic hand control
The opinion people have about thieves in general is pretty low, but a thief who broke into the truck of 27-year-old Afghanistan war vet Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle deserves loathing of a special kind. The thief took an iPod touch especially configured with an app called i-limb, used to control a prosthetic hand like the one seen above that was worn by Eberle. Eberle lost both legs and his right hand in a bomb blast three years ago, and has been using the prosthetic with the help of i-limb and the iPod touch. Using the pinky on the prosthetic hand to manipulate the app, Eberle can adjust the hand in an amazing number of ways. The hand and the app -- and the iPod touch -- all work together as a unit. While the iPod touch is only worth about US$240, San Antonio, TX police say that the thief could be charged with felony theft between $20,000 and $100,000. That's because the prosthetic hand is essentially worthless without the iPod touch and will have to be replaced at a cost of about $75,000. The iPod touch has a special logo on the back of it from the manufacturer, Touch Bionics. San Antonio Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest of the thief, so if a reader happens to see the unique iPod touch, they can call 210-224-7867 with a tip and possibly help a vet recover some of his dexterity.
'Cyberathlon' will see disabled athletes compete in powered exoskeleton races
Massive sporting events like the Olympics are becoming increasingly tech-charged, but the games themselves remain unchanged for the most part. A new event called Cybathlon, however, wishes to fully integrate technology into its events, for what's billed as "The Championship for Robot-Assisted Parathletes." Due to be held in Switzerland in 2016, races will feature "pilots" outfitted with powered limb prosthetics, exoskeletons and wheelchairs that can be either commercial products or research prototypes. There will also be a bike race for competitors with muscle stimulation devices, and a fully computerized event pitting brain-controlled avatars against each other on a virtual track. While there'll be medals and glory for some, it's hoped Cybathlon will raise awareness of assistive tech and encourage development in the area. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to moisten an engineer's brow.
Researchers fake sense of touch in monkey brains, hope to build a better prosthetic
Medical prosthetics have come a long way in recent years, but with a few exceptions, artificial limbs still lack the tactility of their fleshy counterparts. Scientists at the University of Chicago are looking to plug those sensory gaps by researching how to simulate touch sensations within the brain, via electrical impulses. By implanting electrodes into the area of the brain that governs the five senses, scientists used electrical stimulation to artificially create feelings of touch and pressure in test monkeys. The Phoenixes posit that this could increase the dexterity of upper-limb neuroprosthetics without extensive patient training and that this is an important step toward restoring touch to those who've lost it, like those with spinal cord injuries. While the scientists realize these operations require incredibly invasive surgery, they believe the procedure's potential could eventually justify the risk for those who don't have other options.
Turing machine built from artificial muscles may lead to smart prosthetics
In the hierarchy of computing hardware, artificial muscle doesn't really even register: it's usually a target for action, not the perpetrator. The University of Auckland has figured out a way to let those muscles play a more active role. Its prototype Turing machine uses a set of electroactive polymer muscles to push memory elements into place and squeeze piezoresistive switches, performing virtually any calculation through flexing. The proof-of-concept computer won't give silicon circuits any threat when it's running at just 0.15Hz and takes up as much space as a mini fridge, but the hope is to dramatically speed up and shrink down future iterations to where there are advanced computers that occupy the same size as real muscles. Researchers ultimately envision smart prosthetic limbs with near-natural reflexes, completely soft robots with complex gestures and even a switch from digital to analog computing for some tasks. Although we're quite a distance away from any of those muscle-bound ideas becoming everyday realities, it's good to at least see them on the horizon.
Swiss bionic hand offers true sensations through the nervous system
Those wearing bionic hands and similar prostheses often suffer a frustrating disconnect when they can touch an object but can't feel it, even if they're using direct neural control. The École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and allies in Project TIME have developed a hand that could clear that psychological hurdle. The design implants electrodes directly in key nerves that not only allow motor input, but deliver real sensory feedback from the artificial appendage -- including needle pokes, much to the test subject's chagrin. An early trial (seen above) kept the enhanced hand separate from the wearer and was limited to two sensations at once, but an upcoming trial will graft the hand on to a tester's arm for a month, with sensations coming from across much of the simulated hand. EPFL hopes to have a fully workable unit ready to test in two years' time, which likely can't come soon enough for amputees wanting more authentic physical contact.
Stanford self-healing plastic responds to touch, keeps prosthetics and touchscreens in one piece
Self-healing surfaces are theoretically the perfect solutions to easily worn-out gadgets, but our dreams come crashing down as soon as deliberate contact is involved; as existing materials don't conduct electricity, they can't be used in capacitive touchscreens and other very logical places. If Stanford University's research into a new plastic polymer bears fruit, though, our scratched-up phones and tablets are more likely to become distant memories. The material can heal within minutes of cuts through fast-forming hydrogen bonds, rivaling some of its peers, but also includes nanoscopic nickel particles that keep a current flowing and even respond to flexing or pressure. The material is uniquely built for the real world, too, with resilience against multiple wounds and normal temperatures. While the polymer's most obvious use would be for mobile devices whose entire surface areas can survive the keys in our pockets, Stanford also imagines wires that fix themselves and prosthetic limbs whose skin detects when it's bent out of shape. As long as we can accept that possible commercialization is years away, there's hope that we eventually won't have to handle our technology with kid gloves to keep it looking pretty.
Touch Bionics releases new prosthetic fingers, flips the old ones the bird
The only upgrades available for our puny human hands are gaming controller calluses, but if you're sporting an i-LIMB digits hand prosthesis, you can now grab a set of improved fingers. Touch Bionics' "smaller, lighter and more anatomically accurate" appendages are now available worldwide, as well as a new wrist-band unit which houses all the necessary computing power and juice for their function. Best of all, these developments allow more people to adopt the tech than the previous generation, including those with more petite hands or finger amputations closer to the knuckle. We don't know how much it'll cost for a fresh set, but we'll let health agencies and insurance companies deal with that part. With these upgrades and RSL Steeper's latest offering, it won't be long before our flesh-based variants are meager in comparison.
3D printed 'Magic Arms' give a little girl use of her limbs
Don't get us wrong, we adore 3D printers and the whole additive manufacturing movement. But, if all you're going to get out of the ABS-jets are some companion cubes and a raptor claw, well then, we don't think there's much hope for the technology. Thankfully there are people out there (much better people than us, we might add), who have turned to 3D printers to actually improve peoples lives. Take, for example, the tale of two-year-old Emma, born with the congenital disorder arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC). The disease causes a person's joints to become locked in a single position, in Emma's case, it was her arms. There are prosthetics that can help, but most are made of metal -- including the anchor vest -- which would make them too heavy for a 25-pound girl. Instead of going off the shelf, doctors turned to a 3D printer from Stratasys to create custom molded parts and a lightweight vest for Emma. The result: the two-year-old who once could not lift her arms is now able to play, color and feed herself. Printing the parts also solves another major issue -- Emma is growing... quickly. The adorable tot has already outgrown her first vest, but her mother just calls the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and has a new one made. The same goes for replacement parts. Should a hinge or brace break, it need only be a matter of hours (not days or weeks) before a new one is delivered. For more details check out the heartwarming video after the break.
Insert Coin: A look back at ten top projects from 2011
#editors-choice #editors-header { padding: 0; margin: 10px 0; } #editors-choice .section { border: 5px solid #EEE; margin: 10px 0; position: relative; } #editors-choice .section:hover { border-color: #00BDF6; } #editors-choice .section a:hover { text-decoration: none; } #editors-choice .section .winner { display: block; } #editors-choice .section .winner img { display: block; float: left; margin: 0; } #editors-choice .section .winner .details { float: left; width: 410px; margin: 0 0 0 15px; } #editors-choice .section .winner .details h2 { color: #444; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -1px; padding: 10px 0 0; } #editors-choice .section .winner .details h3 { font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: -1px; padding: 7px 0 11px; } #editors-choice .section .winner .details p { color: #222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; } #editors-choice .section .runner-up { display: block; position: absolute; bottom: 0; right: 0; background-color: #333; padding: 3px 10px; } #editors-choice .section .runner-up strong { font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; letter-spacing: -1px; margin-right: 3px; color: #BBB; } 2011 has been a tremendous year for tech -- Amazon launched a $200 Android tablet, AT&T and Verizon continued their LTE expansion, Apple killed off the Mac mini's SuperDrive and Samsung introduced a well-received killer 5.3-inch smartphone. But tiny tech startups made their mark as well, proving that you don't need an enormous R&D budget to spur innovation. Still, development isn't free, and unless your social circle includes eager investors, seed money has been traditionally hard to come by. For many of this year's indie devs, crowdfunding sites have been the answer, with Kickstarter leading the pack. We've seen an enormous variety of projects -- including a deluge of duds and plenty more semi-redundant iPhone accessories -- but a few treasures soared above the swill to be featured in our Insert Coin series, with many of those meeting their funding goals and even making their way into the hands of consumers. Now, as 2011 draws to a close, we've gone through this past year's projects to single out our top ten, and they're waiting for your consideration just past the break.
MIT unveils computer chip that thinks like the human brain, Skynet just around the corner
It may be a bit on the Uncanny Valley side of things to have a computer chip that can mimic the human brain's activity, but it's still undeniably cool. Over at MIT, researchers have unveiled a chip that mimics how the brain's neurons adapt to new information (a process known as plasticity) which could help in understanding assorted brain functions, including learning and memory. The silicon chip contains about 400 transistors and can simulate the activity of a single brain synapse -- the space between two neurons that allows information to flow from one to the other. Researchers anticipate this chip will help neuroscientists learn much more about how the brain works, and could also be used in neural prosthetic devices such as artificial retinas. Moving into the realm of "super cool things we could do with the chip," MIT's researchers have outlined plans to model specific neural functions, such as the visual processing system. Such systems could be much faster than digital computers and where it might take hours or days to simulate a simple brain circuit, the chip -- which functions on an analog method -- could be even faster than the biological system itself. In other news, the chip will gladly handle next week's grocery run, since it knows which foods are better for you than you ever could.
British man's prosthetic arm doubles as Nokia C7 dock
Smartphones have changed our lives, sure, but for those with only one arm, the touchscreen-centric devices can be a downright nuisance. Trevor Prideaux of Somerset, England has worked out of a solution, with help from Nokia and some folks in the medical community. A prosthetist built the 50-year-old catering manager a limb with a cradle for his Nokia C7, allowing Prideaux to operate the phone with a single hand. Prideaux told The Telegraph that he'd initially approached Apple for assistance with the project, eventually settling on Nokia after the Finnish handset maker agreed to help out. [Image source: The Telegraph]
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."
Virtu-LIMB lets prospective patients take upgraded Touch Bionics hand for a spin
It looks like Touch Bionics is bringing the classic "try before you buy" racket to the world of bionic hands. Say hello to the Virtu-LIMB, a simulation and training setup for myoelectric upper limb prostheses. This little yellow dome tethers to a patient's arm and transmits their myoelectric signals to a nearby computer via Bluetooth -- the data is then used to either control an i-LIMB Ultra prosthetic hand or, failing that, a PC simulation of one. The rig was shown at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association National Assembly this week, and can be used to help clinicians fine-tune prostheses for their patients, train patients to manipulate their bionic digits, or even demonstrate the Touch Bionics' i-LIMB to a potential user. The i-LIMB Ultra itself is an upgraded replacement for the outfit's i-LIMB Pulse, featuring a new variable digit-by-digit grip mode, increased flexibility, extended battery life (and low battery audio warning), and the ability to create custom gestures. The new unit even returns to a natural resting state after a period of inactivity, keeping the devil out of your idle hands.
The Eyeborg Documentary compares real life augments with Deus Ex biotech
Eidos Montreal commissioned a cyborg to document real-world advancements in biotechnology that could serve as precursors to the gadgets used in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, titled The Eyeborg Documentary. Why "Eyeborg," you ask? Filmmaker Rob Spence has a prosthetic eye -- but this isn't your grandma's prosthesis. Spence's is a wireless camera that transmits footage to a receiver, with no connection to his optic nerve, not to mention it looks pretty cool when he reveals it from under his eye patch. Spence documents the height of artificial-limb and augmented-reality advancement, following a man with a computer chip behind his retina, a health-bar-encoded firefighting helmet, two men's bionic arms and three bionic legs, all in a very viewable 12-minute timeframe. We may not have machines guns in our forearms yet, but this stuff is still spectacular.
Bionic leg anticipates wearer's movements for more natural motion
Vanderbilt University researchers have debuted a new prosthetic leg that promises a more natural walking experience. Built-in sensors monitor the wearer's movement, data which is sent to a microprocessor, in order anticipate motion. The knee and ankle joints, meanwhile, work in unison, considerably cutting down on the sort of lag this is customary with more traditional prosthetic devices, a fact confirmed by tester Craig Hutto. The bionic limb, which took some seven years to develop, can increase the walking speed of its wearer by up to 25 percent, thanks to its need for considerably less energy from the user than passive prosthetic limbs. Check out a video of the leg in action at the source link below.
BBC shows us what it's like to live with a bionic hand
We've posted a fair share on bionic limbs and their advancements over the years, but rarely have we had the chance to see a video of one in real world use, on a real person. The BBC has shared a video of a man named Patrick using his bionic arm, which -- long story short -- was partially the result of being electrocuted at work. This is his second one to date and specifically, it's a prototype Otto Bock mind-controlled prosthetic arm equipped with six nerve sensors that let him use the hand as if it were his own -- it supports pinching and gripping with the fingers as well as lateral and circular movement of the wrist. Although the footage is a mundane roll of various day to day tasks -- gripping a bottle to pour a glass of water for instance -- it's quite amazing to realize technology is helping him do things he'd otherwise be deprived of. We'd suggest checking it out at the BBC by clicking the source link below.
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.
Researchers build synthetic synapse circuit, prosthetic brains still decades away
Building a franken-brain has long been a holy grail of sorts for scientists, but now a team of engineering researchers have made what they claim to be a significant breakthrough towards that goal. Alice Parker and Chongwu Zhou of USC used carbon nanotubes to create synthetic synapse circuits that mimic neurons, the basic building blocks of the brain. This could be invaluable to AI research, though the team still hasn't tackled the problem of scope -- our brains are home to 100 billion neurons, each of which has 10,000 synapses. Moreover, these nanotubes are critically lacking in plasticity -- they can't form new connections, produce new neurons, or adapt with age. All told, the scientists say, we're decades away from having fake brains -- or even sections of it -- but if the technology advances as they hope it will, people might one day be able to recover from devastating brain injuries and drive cars smart enough to avert deadly accidents.
AMO Arm pneumatic prosthetic does mind-control on the cheap
We're no strangers to amputees moving stuff with their minds -- for that matter, a thought-controlled prosthetic isn't really new to us, either -- but the pneumatic arm you see here isn't like other intelligent limbs. Unlike most mind-operated prosthesis, the Artificial Muscle-Operated (AMO) Arm doesn't require invasive surgery, and according to its inventors, it costs a quarter of the price to make. Here's how the thing works: the host human wears a headset that sends brain signals to a chip in the arm that then matches those signals to a database of related actions, triggering a series of pneumatic pumps and valves to move the limb. Thus, if the wearer thinks 'up,' the arm moves up. The AMO Arm's creators, a pair of undergraduate biomed students, say that not only is their invention a steal to produce, but it also takes just minutes to acclimate to, which has us wondering, do you have to be missing an arm to get a hold of one of these things? You know, we can always use an extra hand. Full PR after the break.