Science

DetlefK

(16,423 posts) Fri Dec 19, 2014, 07:34 PM Dec 2014

Ok. That's it. It's official. We have cyborgs now.

http://io9.com/the-first-person-to-ever-receive-two-mind-controlled-pr-1673244312

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--8tSlYy6E--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/dm3wpp26s4i68yqvrxbi.gif

This is Les Baugh. He lost both arms in an accident 40 years ago. He is a test-subject in an experiment at John Hopkins University. First, they performed special neurosurgeries on his muscles, a brand-new method. Then they put electrodes on the nerves and hooked him to a pattern-recognition-software to find out what neural signals his muscles get when he thinks about specific movements. Then they fashioned him a chest-harness with read-out electrodes and robotic arms.

The scientists were shocked by the ease with which he used the arms, by the steep learning-curve (10 days only) and how fast he learned to use both arms simultaneously.

Though he wasn't able to to take these arms home, the next step of the experiment is to equip him with a pair of arms and have him test them at home in everyday-situations.

Bionic eyes? On sale.
Bionic limbs? Awaiting mass-production.
Brain-Computer-Interfaces? In development.
Bioprinting living tissue? Artificial skin-grafts are no problem. Right now they are trying to print complete organs.
Internet as a pillar of society? Check.
AI? In development.

I said it and I say it again. The future is cyber-punk.

7 replies

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Highlight:

Ok. That's it. It's official. We have cyborgs now. (Original Post) DetlefK Dec 2014 OP

Woo hoo. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Dec 2014 #1

They can miniaturize the electronics. What will be difficult is getting the weight Warpy Dec 2014 #2

The problems are the force and the battery-weight. DetlefK Dec 2014 #4

I'm thinking in the short term this will have to be an in home device Warpy Dec 2014 #5

Rec! progressoid Dec 2014 #3

this is so completely remarkable! nt Javaman Dec 2014 #6

We've already have had other humans with chip implants sakabatou Dec 2014 #7

Erich Bloodaxe BSN

(14,733 posts)

1. Woo hoo.

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Fri Dec 19, 2014, 07:38 PM

Dec 2014

This is the kind of science Gibson fans can get behind.

Warpy

(111,277 posts)

2. They can miniaturize the electronics. What will be difficult is getting the weight

Reply to DetlefK (Original post)

Fri Dec 19, 2014, 07:46 PM

Dec 2014

of the prosthetics down. The weight will limit the amount of time he'll be able to tolerate the vest without having his skin break down.

But hey, the poor guy will be able to eat his own food and drink his own beer without assistance, and that is just huge. Practice with the unit (shoulder, then elbow then hand) will make it intuitive over time just like practice helps infants and toddlers refine their own motor control over time.

DetlefK

(16,423 posts)

4. The problems are the force and the battery-weight.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #2)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 08:11 AM

Dec 2014

When of a comparable size, muscles are stronger than actuators.

And the biggest problem of any portable electronic right now is the weight and the volume of the battery. For example, in the smartphone the battery is one of the biggest components. We can make circuits with wires narrower than a hair, but the energy-supply is still large and clunky.
(Though... German scientists have developed an implant that creates electric current from blood. The MIT built and implanted a prototype that delivered almost enough current to power a pacemaker. Now they need to find a way to keep the blood from clogging the implant over time.)

Warpy

(111,277 posts)

5. I'm thinking in the short term this will have to be an in home device

Reply to DetlefK (Reply #4)

Sat Dec 20, 2014, 02:47 PM

Dec 2014

powered by the same sort of console Cheney's LVAD was hooked up to. It's the overall weight of the metal and motors that will limit the time it can be worn.

Still, putting it on to sit down to dinner and feeding oneself is major for people who can't do it.