Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:34:00
Crazy robot limbs - I’m in!
This is a great story on open-source prosthetics. Artificial limbs, the designs for which anyone can take, tweak and have prototyped for a custom, one-of-a-kind replacement limb that is far better than the traditional hook or non-functional rubber hand/arm.
Kuniholm was a graduate student in biomedical engineering at Duke University, and the cofounder of a small industrial design firm, when his Marine reserve unit was called up for service. He was shipped off to western Iraq, where, a few months into his tour, he fell victim to an IED—blown down while on foot patrol near Haditha Dam.
The man beside him was fatally injured. Kuniholm sat up. “The first thing I noticed was that my arm was pretty seriously injured, my hand was mostly severed....
...
Following months of surgery and rehabilitation, he found himself at Walter Reed being fitted for his first prosthetic arm—a myoelectric limb that looked and felt like a smooth plastic doll’s hand.
He was not impressed. The design was relatively advanced for a prosthetic, and represented a cosmetic improvement over the traditional hook design. But it was slow to operate, and not strong enough to hold a fork or open a door. Handling a soldering iron would be out of the question.
...
Kuniholm agrees. His work won’t be done until he’s made “something that’s so cool, somebody with two arms would want an amputation to get one.”
Yeah, umm...I’m sort of that guy, the one who would do it if the artificial limb was 100% as flexible, had tactile sensation and gave me complete dexterity, but with the addition of being stronger than my own arm. Dude. You think case modding is geeky? Wait until we can mod our robot arms. Mine will be all chromed out with LEDs and shit, and will be able to crush coal into diamonds and still be able to gently stroke the fur of a delicate baby kitty.
The things I could do in a bedroom with an arm like that...I’m just sayin’. This website would have a whole new focus. (That link SO not safe for work or children!)
In all seriousness though, this is going to eventually save the sanity of thousands of poeple who, through accident or birth, lose a limb. The market is limited, so research and development is naturally nowhere near where it should be. A place like Tackle Design is focused solely on creating something new and cool and functional, not on how many they have to sell to break even. The people who need these limbs can get a perfect, kick-ass custom prosthetic without spending tens of thousands of dollars on development. I can’t think of a cooler use of this kind of tech and the idea of open source.
Posted by JimK at 01:34 PM on September 27, 2006
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Categories: Technobabble (Technology), War
Tags:
Technorati: prosthetic limbs technology Tackle Design
Comments:
#2 Posted by Christian 
on 09/27 at 10:48 PM -
And once they get the limb, they continue the hunt for Sarah Conner.
#3 Posted by Buzzion on 09/28 at 04:44 AM -
Kuniholm agrees. His work won’t be done until he’s made “something that’s so cool, somebody with two arms would want an amputation to get one.”
That’s pretty much the idea behind cybernetics in most sci-fi isn’t it?
#4 Posted by Harley W Daugherty on 09/28 at 10:17 AM -
#3 Posted by Buzzion United States on 09/28 at 03:44 AM
Kuniholm agrees. His work won’t be done until he’s made “something that’s so cool, somebody with two arms would want an amputation to get one.”
That’s pretty much the idea behind cybernetics in most sci-fi isn’t it?
Kinda reminds me of manie from Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
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See, Jim, now whenever I think of you, I’m gonna picture you as Batou from Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.