The First Bionic Man.

www.local6.com...


CHICAGO -- Researchers have developed artificial arms that can be moved as it if they were real limbs, simply by thinking about making them move, according to Local 6 News.

The world's first bionic man, Jesse Sullivan, 54, accidentally touched live wires while working as a utility lineman in Tennessee. He suffered severe burns, causing him to lose his arms.

Now, Sullivan is the first to try out the most sophisticated artificial arms ever designed.

Surgeons attached his arm nerves to healthy muscles in his chest.

"So now when Jess thinks, close hand, the impulse is picked up by a transmitter, and goes to his hand," doctor Todd Kuiken said. "He thinks, closes hand and it does."

Sullivan's hand rotates 360 degrees, according to the report. When Sullivan's brain tells his arm to do something, it's done in seconds and he has feeling in the bionic arm.

"This gives me a lot of hope," Sullivan said. "I was an independent kind of guy. I didn't ask anybody for anything. If I could do it, I did it."

Eventually tiny sensors in the fingertips will allow Sullivan to feel texture and temperature.

Doctors at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago said the breakthrough could change the lives of amputees, patients with spinal cord injuries and stroke victims, according to the report.

so if u lose an arm or leg u should not worry for this technology will help compensate for the loses. also if u lose the arm against in watever dangerous job u have u can replace it again.

so if u lose an arm or leg u should not worry for this technology will help compensate for the loses. also if u lose the arm against in watever dangerous job u have u can replace it again.

Not likely, insurance probably won't cover it, more people don't have insurance than do, and probably only 5% or less of the population can afford this. The ones that can...well how many super rich amputees have you seen?

But hey, its the future, maybe it will be as prevalent as cell phones are today.

This could be incredibly useful in terms of remote control. No longer are people required to use joysticks and buttons for robotic control. It could seriously impact military and commerical situations, in ways Im sure you all could think of..

I saw some pretty cool stuff like this in a biomedical engineering course, but this bionic arm takes the cake. I don't think I've ever seen a robotic arm that operated on thought, before. I've seen a few that operated on other weird ideas, like clicking teeth together when you want to grasp something (which apparently produces a frequency that is pretty much unique to that movement) but this one looks to be the most practical, and the most expensive.

Not likely, insurance probably won't cover it

Insurance does not normally cover this sort of thing; it doesn't even cover most of the artificial limbs that are already in the marketplace.

and probably only 5% or less of the population can afford this

From the article:

By the time it's perfected, the cost of manufacturing the bionic arm is expected to be about $6 million, according to the report.

Not exactly priced for the middle class, lol. Still, it's a start, and hopefully with further research, that price can be eventually brought to a reasonable level. The language is rather ambiguous, and I'm not sure whether the 6 million is referring to a single arm or the entire project, but either way, thats a lot of $$$.

A cool advancement, but, technically, doesn't everyone with some sort of device in them count as bionic? This is a huge step in the process, but it's not the first.

Did I mention huge? Sense is really a very awesome idea. This guy'll be living sweet (and strong). Pity it's expensive, but I was thinking same thing as raideur. It's fantastic for long range work, doctoral, protective, whatever.

Would also give a whole new meaning to the phrase "Im feeling the game."

Wouldn't it?

Originally posted by Raideur
Would also give a whole new meaning to the phrase "Im feeling the game."

Wouldn't it?

Not the foggiest idea of what you're talking about.

Originally posted by deltaboy


Eventually tiny sensors in the fingertips will allow Sullivan to feel texture and temperature.

I read a different article a few days ago about the same guy that said he could already feel hot and cold sensations,and could tell which finger was being touched.I will try to remember where i read it and post a link.

[edit on 28-6-2005 by TahoeSkiBum]