Italian Robo-hand

[kpenguin]

A fascinating development (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/02/tech/main5864160.shtml)


A robotic hand has been successfully connected to an amputee, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial limb and control it with his thoughts, a group of European scientists said Wednesday.

The experiment lasted a month, and the scientists say it was the first time a patient has been able to make complex movements using his mind to control a biomechanic hand connected to his nervous system.

The Italian-led team said at a news conference Wednesday in Rome that last year it implanted electrodes into the arm of the patient who had lost his left hand and forearm in a car accident.

The prosthetic was not implanted on the patient, only connected through the electrodes. During the news conference, video was shown of 26-year-old Pierpaolo Petruzziello as he concentrated to give orders to the hand placed next to him.

[Crimmy]

Awesome.
Simply awesome.

I hope SCIENCE never leaves us.

[Partof1]

Yes, one step closer to my absolute perfect Luke Skywalker costume...

[Pocketa]

Looks like Beyonce got picked for the beta.

http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20081124/293.knowles.beyonce2.lc.112408.jpg

[Maximum Zersk]

That is AMAZING. We're getting close to making prosthetics worthy of FMA. :smallbiggrin:

Science simply is AMAZING. :smallsmile:

[Mando Knight]

Looks like Beyonce got picked for the beta.

http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20081124/293.knowles.beyonce2.lc.112408.jpg

Yo, Pierpaolo, I'm real happy for you, and Imma let you finish...

:smalltongue:

[Dallas-Dakota]

I read the title as ''Italian Robot-Band'' I am slightly dissapointed to find no such thing....

[Killer Angel]

I read the title as ''Italian Robot-Band'' I am slightly dissapointed to find no such thing....

I would give you a cookie, but it seems your avatar has plenty of'em. :smalltongue:

Anyway: one video link (http://video.tiscali.it/canali/truveo/1739691363.html) of the subject

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

Ah good, now even Italian amputees can have their Dolmio Day. :smallwink:

[Mephibosheth]

My wife is studying physical therapy and recently had some lessons about amputation and prosthetic limbs. Over the course of her research, she found this (http://www.dekaresearch.com/deka_arm.shtml), which appears to be a similar project. The Deka arm project was commissioned at the request of the US military for soldiers returning with missing arms. They're even calling it the Luke arm informally!

[GoC]

This is big. REALLY big. AFAIK this was the biggest hurdle on the road to cybernetic limbs.

[Comet]

I can't wait to get my hand cut off.

[Ilena]

I can't wait to get my hand cut off.

Thats actually slightly disturbing ... though im pretty much pro and anti tech, it seems that i am at odds with everything :P but this is awesome, id still want to be wholely organic though ...

[bibliophile]

You might also find this interesting.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/05/dean-kamens-rob/

[bluewind95]

That is just absolutely amazing. I'd read about that kind of thing. But it still amazes me. I do hope they'll eventually (soon!) have these things available widely for people to use.

[thubby]

hopefully we'll have cyber-brains before i kick the bucket.

[Em Blackleaf]

The first thing I thought of were the cybernetic limbs in Star Wars.

Science: making evil overlords like Darth Vader possible since 2009.

On a serious note, this is pretty awesome. I always wondered if and when a thing like this would ever be invented. I now have nothing to worry about if I lose a limb. :smalltongue:

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

Plus, y'know, spaghetti would be rather difficult to eat one-handed, especially if meatballs are present.