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New Prosthetic Hand So Nimble an Amputee Can Type
livescience.com — A new prosthetic hand uses individually movable fingers to hold a credit card, use a keyboard and lift a heavy bag.
hdar3415- 585 diggs
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- breakspirit, on 04/24/2008, -0/+15I think this stuff is some of the coolest uses there are for technology
- Culyt, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3It's cool but personally I want to see the keyboard hooked up directly rather than the hand, if you can tap into the nervous system enough to move fingers you should be able to hookup some kind of direct man-machine interface.
Then again my preferences probably reflect the fact that I'm not an amputee ☺
But it would be more useful for the rest of us, just have a wrist strap instead of a keyboard. You could do away with laptops and switch everything to tablet PCs
It would also stop RSI.
- Culyt, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3It's cool but personally I want to see the keyboard hooked up directly rather than the hand, if you can tap into the nervous system enough to move fingers you should be able to hookup some kind of direct man-machine interface.
- Tanktunker, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3I thought Dean Kamen already invented this.
- travis1982, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1he invented the entire arm prosthetic, you can control it with your heel. I am not sure how this hand works though, I skimmed the article and couldn't find out how. Amazing technology though.
- Amadeus2490, on 04/24/2008, -0/+11I'm always excited to hear about advancements like this. When it gets to the point where you can type 60 WPM and play the piano professionally with a prosthetic hand(s), the thought of losing my hands in a bizarre accident doesn't sound nearly as terrible. . .should it ever occur.
- AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -0/+7It won't sound so terrible until they show you the bill.
- Amadeus2490, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2lol Of course. But, if your hands are a vital part of your career, maybe they can somehow be a tax write-off? Ask your lawyer.
- AzureRise, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1That's brilliant. I'll have to remember that.
- Amadeus2490, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2lol Of course. But, if your hands are a vital part of your career, maybe they can somehow be a tax write-off? Ask your lawyer.
- Altesse, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I partially agree. I think you're right, but in my opinion the sense of touch is essential in a hand, and as long as this information is not somehow recorded and transmitted back to the brain, having a prosthetic hand will be terrible (albeit much better than nothing, of course).
- Amadeus2490, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1I heard they're working on wiring prosthetics into your nervous system, so that they can transmit feeling. They've isolated certain chemicals in the brain that transmit feelings vs pain, so they're probably a lot closer to it than you think.
- AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -0/+7It won't sound so terrible until they show you the bill.
- AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -2/+3Finally a news article about scientists inventing something useful. Too bad the price is insane because yesterday while tryin to open a package my finger found out just how sharp my swiss army knife is and I'm hoping the slightly dark part is just bruising and not dark rotting flesh that requires amputation because the knife went in really, really, really ***** deep and continually gushed Kill Bill style for 7 frickin minutes.
- JMSantos, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Is that why you can't find the period?
- AzureRise, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1Just watched Yahtzee when I wrote that, hehe. Infected me (but hopefully not my finger).
- Jayzgame, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Um . . .
Maybe you should go see a doctor . . . like pronto.- AzureRise, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1I think everything's alright. Hurts slightly with movement, but it's healing and doesn't hurt as much.
- JMSantos, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4Is that why you can't find the period?
- eyepatch100, on 04/24/2008, -4/+3tyhias is a grweat Ideaas
-an Amputee - tallin, on 04/24/2008, -0/+15I just hope that it will allow the handless to comfortably masturbate.
- razorsedge555, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Or at least comfortably scratch their nuts and taint.
- AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3If you have no feeling in your hand it'll feel like someone else is doing it for you! Anyone else tired of sitting on their hand till it falls asleep to get that effect?
- elpohl, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I'd rather get my girlfriend than put my hand under my butt, any day.
- JMSantos, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2That's cute, you call it your girlfriend.
- AzureRise, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1Well played sir. Have a cookie. I insist.
- JMSantos, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2That's cute, you call it your girlfriend.
- elpohl, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1I'd rather get my girlfriend than put my hand under my butt, any day.
- 4rp4n3t, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1Great - AND it would feel like someone else was doing it for you...
- travis1982, on 04/24/2008, -0/+12or maybe involuntary rip your dick off. I wouldn't trust that thing with my penis.
- AzureRise, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Have you seen fetish and stupid videos? There are people that would subject themselves to much worse.
- mllawso, on 04/24/2008, -3/+1So no more one-handed typing?
- mllawso, on 04/24/2008, -6/+1So no more one-handed typing?
- nuketrap, on 04/24/2008, -0/+6If countries spent more of their money from defence to medical research stuff like this would happen more often.
- merper, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Actually, much of the pioneering work for similar U.S. projects was funded by DARPA for wounded soldiers...
- davidlow, on 04/24/2008, -0/+7This article cries out for video. Anyone have a direct link?
- Pahtcub, on 04/24/2008, -1/+6Dude if you want to be rick rolled why don't you just come out and say so?
- dagamer34, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3So wait, I'm a bit confused. Is this stuff like in the movies where you think about where your hand should go and it happens? Or is it simply mimicking movements from the other hand. The article doesn't show any pictures of the entire thing, just the hand.
- Daniru, on 04/24/2008, -0/+14A wonderful development. It's a shame the name of the hand made me cringe.
- rentmitchum, on 04/24/2008, -0/+3Seriously. Why do they put "i" in front of everything? It's like the new "e".
- psykiv, on 04/24/2008, -1/+3Glad to see some useful news. Dugg.
- rentmitchum, on 04/24/2008, -0/+11This is an victory for Skywalkers to come.
- rentmitchum, on 04/24/2008, -1/+1*a
- omercyme33, on 04/24/2008, -0/+5I know this comment is going to get Dugg down, but I know you are all thinking it: masturbation?
- buddamus, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Amputees join digg by mass
- Revolution101, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1http://www.mortalkombatonline.com/content/games/mk ...
- Timpin1, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1talk abut givin yourself a "stranger"
- luckyguy2000, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1"Listen and understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear, and it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead."
Kyle Reese - steveoco, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2To emulate my typing skills all you would have to do is duct tape a drum stick to the nub.
- i4ybrid, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2Can we stop adding a lower case i to every friggin thing we make? Just cause the iPod was a success, doesn't mean that you will be just cause you added a lower case i to the front of whatever product your making!
- icecycles, on 04/24/2008, -0/+2From their website: (http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?sect ...
"The i-LIMB Hand is controlled by a unique, highly intuitive control system that uses a traditional two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the hand’s life-like fingers. Myoelectric controls utilize the electrical signal generated by the muscles in the remaining portion of the patient’s limb. This signal is picked up by electrodes that sit on the surface of the skin. Existing users of basic myoelectric prosthetic hands are able to quickly adapt to the system and can master the device’s new functionality within minutes. For new patients, the i-LIMB Hand offers a prosthetic solution that has never before been available."
Sounds better than the Luke arm's foot control to me. - personman, on 04/24/2008, -0/+4The article says it can only type with the index finger. Couldn't a hook do that, too?
- Bullsnot, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1Excellent to see progress, but still seems like so far left to go. There should be updatable programming available between the input and the motor system allowing for more precise tuning. It would be great to see a future model with a USB port hidden somewhere that you could plug in to your keyboard port and use the interface to type directly to your computer without the hydraulic fingers. This might help be a faster improvement than the delicate side to side movements needed for real speed typing.
For the price of this model you would think we would be there. - spiffyfitz, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1If I ever become an amputee I'm getting the most awesome robotic limbs ever.
- Action54, on 04/24/2008, -0/+0Thats amazing! Its crazy how they can get feed back from the stump to correlate how much pressure is needed by the hand to pick up an object
- doughboy334, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1science, ftw.
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