Pentagon's bionic arm project:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4937716n

All ya'all 60 Minutes haters, 'splain to me why these guys broke this story, or are at least giving it better traction than I've seen up til now.

Dean Kamen was involved in a big way and I'm willing to forgive him the Segway for this one.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

He'll sleep better with your forgiveness.

Thank you so much.

Now, did you watch the video and what do you think of it?

Or do you prefer pitching $h!t?

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

you win some you loose some. I read about this about 3 months ago, and I thought it was from a link on this forum, but that might be wrong, I like reading tech blogs, so i might have seen it there. Its pretty cool, 1000 times more useful then the segway.

Just think of what would happen if you paired the segway with this arm...



OR

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The Segway may not be too useful but I suspect much of the tech developed for it will find better application.

I regularly hear that w/o the space program, inventions X, Y, Z, Velcro, and Tang would never have come into being. Strikes me as rubbish and this project demonstrates that any worthy goal can inspire remarkable engineering and development.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Last summer, I think.

I'm tryin' to be all touchy-feely, we're all one. I feel my own forgiveness flowing from my aura. It's groovy.

Nice device, too. Reminds me of a movie back in the '70's, "99 44/100% Dead". I think it was Chuck Conners with the prosthesis.

More indirect praise from the Botster. Dang, I must have let the air out of one of your sacred balloons pretty thoroughly to merit such mockery.

One of the main reasons I hate asinine wars is the knowledge that all sorts of good men and women are going to go through the rest of their life missing a limb or several.

I broke my left fib and tib while playing B-Ball in '77. Just got snapped like a couple of small tree branches. Gave me a new joint about 6 inches above my ankle. A lot like this one, only I didn't step hard on it, thank God:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH8t-okjT38

After major surgery (fasciotomy), a tibial nail, and 3 weeks in hospital I was ready for a 2 or 3 year period of getting a working leg back. It's just about fully normal now, thanks to modern med. tech and the U of Wash orthopedics dept.

Point is, I have an intimate understanding of what it's like to have a limb that may or may not make it. People with similar breaks to mine lost their leg for most all of human history. I read about a female B-Ball player about 20 years later who did lose her foot from exactly the same kind of thing: compartment syndrome.

I say stop funding SDI immediately and some other weapons systems and concentrate on giving some semblance of a normal, satisfying life to the troops that many Americans claim to support.

Oh, and grow the F up, already.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Having seen the daughter of a childhood friend, a bright vivacious young woman who was a college athlete, come home without an arm and a leg, I can only say that we owe them the best we can give them for their service.

I have known a number of people who lost a limb in Viet-Nam, Iraq I and II and in motorcycle accidents. The effect upon all of them was traumatic, even the toughest have lost something deep inside that cannot be replaced.

A guy I work with was an Army Reservist and he got hit by an IED in Iraq 3 years ago and lost his right leg above the knee. He is an electrician. 18 months after he got home he went back to Walter Reed and got his new right leg with the "smart knee". He is now back at work, earing a living, supporting his family. the difference is amazing. the sparkle is back in his eye, he can climb ladders and work on job sites. If you saw him you might thing he has a mild limp, because he walks with a slightly rolling gait but when you find out he has an artificaial leg, you just cannot believe it.

Now Cara, my friends daughter, has the same leg and walks fairly well but ever since I showed her the video of the early developmental "LUKE" arm that Kamen/DEKA had close to 2 years ago she has wanted one. We sopke about it and I said that it would never replace what she had but she said taht all she wanted to have was the ability to try and get back to what she was before she went to Iraq. She is not angry or bitter, she says she does not have time for that stuff. (Now that is a statement that shows she has met the issue and can see past it to the future). Oh yea, and she wants to pitch Fast Pitch softball again (can you imagine the speed she could get with the LUKE arm? Sheesh!).

I am glad that there are people out there that are smart enough and there are people in the Army and DARPA that have the drive to make this a reality.

We owe each and every person that we have sent into harm's way the best care and life tool we can give them to bring them back to us.

I do not support the reason they were sent to war but I will not forsake them while they are there and after they come home.

I think I posted an earlier link up here about this, can't find it, maybe I didn't.

OK, the Segway and this new GM PUMA thing are a waste of the invention.

But look for the wheelchair that Kamen actually invented first.

Other than overly expensive quite a nice thing for people confined to one.

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.

I agree with you concerning asinine wars. Fortunately, we're not in one.

One needn't lose a limb or fear losing one in order to empathize.

Why did this get political? wouldn't this be a great invention for someone who looses there arm in a logging accident? or a car accident? Yes its great for vets, but why are we blaming wars for the conditions this thing can "repair". Its about making peoples lives more normal. who cares where they get damaged.

If a guy wants to be a soldier and that leads him to needs this device, who are we to judge. lets respect his choice to join the military, thank him for giving his arm, and pray this device makes his life more livable. lets not debate why he needs it, lets just make sure he gets all the help modern technology can offer.

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I think they also had a bit on that wheelchair on the demon 60 Minutes a couple of years back. Incredible device.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I agree completely that it will be useful for anyone missing a limb. The only reason I mention the Army is that DARPA is funding this venture handsomely, and it's usefulness to maimed vets is high on their list.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The number of traumatic amputations coming out of Iraq is higher than the US has had in WW2, Korea, Nam or GW1.

The majority are citizen soldiers. The project was started by and funded by DARPA as no private firm would be so inclined-imagine trying to sell this scenario to the Board at Becton Dickenson?? And then no one could afford to get one.

Believe me when you see someone with a new prosthesis take some of their control of life back and fine the self worth that they gave up it is amazing.

I gather that some folks here have never been close to anyone that suffered the loss of an arm or leg, watching them try and get back to basics just tears you apart. You want to say "Stop let me help you" but you know that is not what they want or need to achieve their goal.

This is a fair shot at what they need.