Amputee makes history controlling two modular prosthetic limbs
Date:
December 17, 2014
Source:
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Summary:
A Colorado man made history this summer when he became the first bilateral shoulder-level amputee to wear and simultaneously control two modular prosthetic limbs. Most importantly, the patient, who lost both arms in an electrical accident 40 years ago, was able to operate the system by simply thinking about moving his limbs, performing a variety of tasks during a short training period.
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Baugh completes a task showcasing his control of the MPL.
Credit: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
[Click to enlarge image]
A Colorado man made history at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) this summer when he became the first bilateral shoulder-level amputee to wear and simultaneously control two of the Laboratory's Modular Prosthetic Limbs. Most importantly, Les Baugh, who lost both arms in an electrical accident 40 years ago, was able to operate the system by simply thinking about moving his limbs, performing a variety of tasks during a short training period.
Baugh was in town for two weeks in June as part of an APL-funded research effort to further assess the usability of the MPL, developed over the past decade as part of the Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program. Before putting the limb system through the paces, Baugh had to undergo a surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital known as targeted muscle reinnervation.
"It's a relatively new surgical procedure that reassigns nerves that once controlled the arm and the hand," explained John Hopkins Trauma Surgeon Albert Chi, M.D. "By reassigning existing nerves, we can make it possible for people who have had upper-arm amputations to control their prosthetic devices by merely thinking about the action they want to perform."
After recovery, Baugh visited the Laboratory for training on the use of the MPLs. First, he worked with researchers on the pattern recognition system.
"We use pattern recognition algorithms to identify individual muscles that are contracting, how well they communicate with each other, and their amplitude and frequency," Chi explained. "We take that information and translate that into actual movements within a prosthetic."
Then Baugh was fitted for a custom socket for his torso and shoulders that supports the prosthetic limbs and also makes the neurological connections with the reinnervated nerves. While the socket got its finishing touches, the team had him work with the limb system through a Virtual Integration Environment (VIE), a virtual-reality version of the MPL.
The VIE is completely interchangeable with the prosthetic limbs and through APL's licensing process currently provides 19 groups in the research community with a low-cost means of testing brain-computer interfaces. It's being used to test novel neural interface methods and study phantom limb pain, and serves as a portable training system.
By the time the socket was finished, Baugh said he was more than ready to get started. When he was fitted with the socket, and the prosthetic limbs were attached, he said "I just went into a whole different world." He moved several objects, including an empty cup from a counter-shelf height to a higher shelf, a task that required him to coordinate the control of eight separate motions to complete.
"This task simulated activities that may commonly be faced in a day-to-day environment at home," said APL's Courtney Moran, a prosthetist working with Baugh. "This was significant because this is not possible with currently available prostheses. He was able to do this with only 10 days of training, which demonstrates the intuitive nature of the control."
Moran said the research team was floored by what Baugh was able to accomplish.
"We expected him to exceed performance compared to what he might achieve with conventional systems, but the speed with which he learned motions and the number of motions he was able to control in such a short period of time was far beyond expectation," she said. "What really was amazing, and was another major milestone with MPL control, was his ability to control a combination of motions across both arms at the same time. This was a first for simultaneous bimanual control."
RP Principal Investigator Michael McLoughlin said "I think we are just getting started. It's like the early days of the Internet. There is just a tremendous amount of potential ahead of us, and we've just started down this road. And I think the next five to 10 years are going to bring phenomenal advancement."
The next step, McLoughlin said, is to send Baugh home with a pair of limb systems so that he can see how they integrate with his everyday life.
Baugh is looking forward to that day. "Maybe for once I'll be able to put change in the pop machine and get pop out of it," he said. He's looking forward to doing "simple things that most people don't think of. And it's re-available to me."
Watch video of Les Baugh's testing with two Modular Prosthetic Limbs here:
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
There is No Ghost in the Shell: GITS Movie Analysis
- Thread starter tmonster
- Start date
uh you know the point of a "ghost in the shell" is not about artificial limbs or the ability to augment human capacity/or incapacity its about what is conciousness and how that conciousness arises and its lack of limitations to physicality
go deeper, you ain't seeing me yet
dude is slow
well no wonder he likes this place
he gets to post little pics when he has no real reply ....
you brehs are just mean
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/scientists-develop-telescopic-contact-lenses-can-zoom-3x
Scientists Develop Telescopic Contact Lenses That Can Zoom 3X
February 16, 2015 | by Justine Alford
Photo credit: Eric Tremblay and Joe Ford. EPFL.
Over the past year, we’ve heard about some pretty interesting developments in the world of contact lenses. Scientists have made progress on creating a pair of “smart” lenses for diabetics that are capable of monitoring glucose levels, and Google is even inventing a set with an in-built camera. Now, researchers in Switzerland are working towards bringing us magnifying contact lenses that zoom in and out with a wink.
The new visual aids were unveiled last Friday by Eric Tremblay from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in California. The innovative new vision-enhancing system, the first of its kind, includes a set of telescopic lenses and smart glasses that can distinguish between blinks and winks so that the user can easily flick between zoomed and normal vision.
The visual aids, which are still in the prototype stage, could be useful for those with visual impairment, which affects some 285 million people worldwide. In particular, they might one day help people with a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause visual impairment in adults over the age of 50. AMD is a progressive disease in which people gradually loss their central vision due to cell damage and death in the retina. Although there are glasses in existence to help those with this condition, known as bioptic telescopes, they’re bulky and can interfere with social interaction. This new system, however, is designed to be much less intrusive.
The telescopes inbuilt into the lenses were actually first developed with funding from DARPA as superthin cameras for aerial drones, but they were later converted into a vision-enhancing system that was first announced back in 2013. Since then, scientists have been tweaking the system to make the complementary glasses better and the lenses more suitable for longer wear.
The lenses themselves are rigid and larger than your bog standard lens, covering the sclera, or whites of the eyes. Within the 1.5 mm thick lenses is a ring of tiny aluminum mirrors which bounce light around, increasing the perceived size of objects and magnifying the view 2.8 times. To switch between zoomed and normal view, all the user has to do is wink their right eye which interrupts the light being reflected from the contacts to the glasses, according to Science. When this signal is blocked, a polarized filter in the glasses kicks in which guides light towards the telescopic part, New Scientist explains. To get back to normal vision, they just need to wink their left eye.
Earlier models could only be worn for short periods of time because the amount of air reaching the surface of the eye was restricted, which limited their uselessness. Since then, scientists have improved the length of time they can be worn for with the addition of tiny channels that increase airflow around the eye.
Although the team behind the system has made many major improvements since the first versions, it hasn’t been tested in humans and the amount of time they can be worn is still restricted, so it will unfortunately be a while before we see them on the market.
[Via Science, New Scientist and EPFL]
Usually I just wear glasses rather than contacts, but I'll be first in line for a pair of these.
when they can move your conciousness or extend or store your memories on a computer - then you are talking GITS concepts
all that is - is a prosthetic which is no different fuctionally than a elaborate hook for a hand
all that is - is a prosthetic which is no different fuctionally than a elaborate hook for a hand
the lack of vision...
plenty of vision - i just dont misplace the signifigance - GITS is about the ability to transcendence of conciousness - not extending the functionality of the physical body
you are acting like a better microwave oven means that you can teach penguins how to taste
