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Man Controls The World's First Bionic Leg With His Mind

RDS

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Mind over matter literally.
Zac Vawter's bionic leg lets him walk up stairs with ease. That's because it senses his brain's instructions and moves accordingly, something that no other prosthetic leg can do.
The leg is the first of its kind to respond accurately to its user's thoughts, according to a report published Sept. 26 in the New England Journal Of Medicine.
Vawter, now 32, was in a motorcycle accident in 2009. Doctors had to amputate his leg just above the knee.
He had heard about mind-controlled prosthetics, which had previously only been used with robotic arms. Legs are more problematic, because when they fail you are more likely to get badly injured, for instance, by falling down the stairs.
He asked about these new technologies and eventually became the "test-pilot" for a bionic leg created by Todd Kuiken's team at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. The project was partially funded by an $8 million grant from the U.S. Army.


Read more: Man Controls A Robotic Leg With His Mind - Business Insider
 
That is amazing to say the least. WOW!!!

Just curious if the wearer of bionic limb, in this case a leg, has to concentrate and think about every move or just about the thigh muscle or do they have to think about it at all when walking?
 
As someone who rehabs people with prosthetic training this is really cool. Unfortunately most of the people I rehab are losing lower extremities due to not controlling their diabetes, rather than accidents or trauma. So they probably won't be considered candidates for this kind of expensive prosthesis due to the fact they will likely have to keep amputating further and further up their lower extremities. Prosthesis fits have to be done very carefully, and are very specifically measured to each person. You can't just go to a loan closet and get a leg like you could a walker or wheelchair.
 
As someone who rehabs people with prosthetic training this is really cool. Unfortunately most of the people I rehab are losing lower extremities due to not controlling their diabetes, rather than accidents or trauma. So they probably won't be considered candidates for this kind of expensive prosthesis due to the fact they will likely have to keep amputating further and further up their lower extremities. Prosthesis fits have to be done very carefully, and are very specifically measured to each person. You can't just go to a loan closet and get a leg like you could a walker or wheelchair.

Yeah but someone given a robot leg is going to be out fighting crime and whatnot, plenty of exercise then!
 
I saw on a network news show like 60 Minutes recently a guy with a robotic hand he controlled with his brain. He even shook hands with the journalist. Incredible and an eye in to the future.
 
It won't be so amazing when it becomes self aware
 
Keep in mind with the bionic hand there was a electronic thing implanted in the guy's brain to work the hand.
 
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