• Science

    Bionic Made Better

    By Posted on 1.22.2008 2 Comments

    More than 130 veterans of the Iraq war now face the daunting challenge of learning to live with a missing arm. To make that transition easier, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa, has launched a $55-million project that pools the efforts of prosthetics experts nationwide to create a thought-controlled bionic arm that duplicates the functions of a natural limb. If all goes well, by 2009 the agency will petition the Food and Drug Administration to put the arm through clinical trials.

    Article Rating:
    12.21.2008 at 10:31am - Comment by calvinandhobbes

    This "work" is completely useless for potential users and a result of scientist that have never spoken to a limb deficient person. Playing a piano is not want they want to do with a prosthetic arm! I cannot imagine that this robot hand can move when covered by a cosmetic glove and I`m curious about the size of the battery that can provide this robot with sufficient energy. And why did they call it "mind-controlled" ? Instead it is controlled by electrical signals from their residual muscles - a well established technique for 50 years. By the way: hydrogen peroxide poses several risks: * it can give off vapor that can detonate at normal atmospheric pressure. * vapors can form sensitive contact explosives with hydrocarbons such as greases. * it is corrosive, and even domestic-strength solutions can cause irritation to the eyes and skin just to mention some.



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