Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

So let's say I lose a limb at some point in the future. How does one go about applying for these "research" positions? It seems like it would be an interesting hack to get into a mind-controlled robot limb experimental program instead of the traditional prosthetic limb.

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#5

Post by z92 » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 11:32 AM UTC

The first question I asked while viewing the title was: in what time? Cause the fact of climbing 103 floors is almost useless without a second part telling us "in xxx hours".

The article says in 53 minutes! That was amazing speed! Two floors a minute!!

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#6

Post by emilchacko » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 11:39 AM UTC

What was a fiction in i-robot (Will smiths arm) is becoming a reality.Gr8..

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#7

Post by jkn » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 1:39 PM UTC

To clarify, this bionic leg is not directly mind controlled[1]. Instead, the leg uses EMG electrodes on the tigh that record muscle activation signals, i.e. motoneuron discharges in the tigh muscles[2]; these neurons are presumably activated by spinal cord networks responsible for locomotion. These are activated by brainstem networks (a part of the brain we share with the most primitive vertebrates), which of course at some level are controlled by the cerebral cortex. Just to say that there are quite a few layers between conscious thoughts and the electrodes.

Still very impressive! And I think this is much more promising technology than direct brain recordings actually.

[1] Like e.g. José Millán's wheelchair where signals are extracted directly from the brain: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/420756/wheelchair-makes...

[2] http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/zac-vawter-w...

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#8

Post by prawks » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 2:02 PM UTC

tux1968 wrote: post #2

Am i the only one who was expecting to see him on the outside of the building climbing up its face?

I was definitely hoping for that. I mean really, which is more useful.

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#9

Post by Osmium » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 2:16 PM UTC

Given the current political climate, there's no way I can make a comment like this without it sounding political, but here it goes...

It seems a shame to me that technology like this is not available to all amputees. I can only imagine the frustration I'd feel if I lost an arm or a leg and couldn't afford this, and had to settle for a "dumb" prosthesis instead. And I can only imagine this problem getting worse in the future, because this type of thing will never be able to reach the economies of scale to make it available to "ordinary" people on their own.

In my own country, to my knowledge, this isn't yet an issue, but as technology progresses and with budgets getting tighter it wouldn't surprise me if it becomes one in future.

Re: Amputee scales 103 floors with mind-controlled 'bionic leg'

#10

Post by haraball » Mon, Nov 05, 2012, 2:44 PM UTC

Osmium wrote: post #9

Given the current political climate, there's no way I can make a comment like this without it sounding political, but here it goes... It seems a shame to me that technology like this is not available to all amputees. I can only imagine the frustration I'd feel if I lost an arm or a leg and couldn't afford this, and had to settle for a "dumb" prosthesis instead. And I can only imagine this problem getting worse in the…

Bionic prosthetic limbs like this is very hard to control, that's why it's newsworthy that a man can climb 103 stairs like this. To be able to use something like this requires lots of training and calibration, so it's not easy to mass produce them (yet).