Prosthetic Robotics
Welcome to Prosthetic Robotics. With increased regularity, humans are merging with our own technology.
In order for a robotic prosthetic limb to work, it must have several components to integrate it into the body’s function. Biosensors detect signals from the user’s nervous or muscular systems. It then relays this information to a controller located inside the device, and processes feedback from the limb and actuator (e.g., position, force) and sends it to the controller. Mechanical sensors process aspects affecting the device (e.g., limb position, applied force, load) and relay this information to the biosensor or controller. The controller is connected to the user’s nerve and muscular systems and the device itself. It sends intention commands from the user to the actuators of the device, and interprets feedback from the mechanical and biosensors to the user.
Within science fiction, and, more recently, within the scientific community, there has been consideration given to using advanced prostheses to replace healthy body parts with artificial mechanisms and systems to improve function. The morality and desirability of such technologies are being debated. Body parts such as legs, arms, hands, feet, and others can be replaced.
In early 2008, Oscar Pistorius (see picture) was briefly ruled ineligible to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics because his prosthetic limbs were said to give him an unfair advantage over runners who had ankles. One researcher found that his limbs used twenty-five percent less energy than those of an able-bodied runner moving at the same speed. This ruling was overturned on appeal, with the appellate court stating that the overall set of advantages and disadvantages of Pistorius’ limbs had not been considered. Pistorius did not qualify for the South African team for the Olympics, but went on to sweep the 2008 Summer Paralympics, and has been ruled eligible to qualify for any future Olympics. Thank you for visiting and supporting ProstheticRobotics.com. 
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The Return of Sci-Fi – Texas Hospital Patients May Soon Be Talking To Robots
Your doctor may soon be a robot, or so the whispers warn. Sound like something out of a bad science-fiction movie? Well, maybe you should ask whichever physician shows up on-screen of the RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic System by InTouch Technologies, a maneuverable robotic system designed to allow physicians to videoconference with their patients from remote locations.
Dr. Alex Gandsas, of Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital and holder of stock options with InTouch Technologies, introduced the machine to hospital administrators as a way to closely monitor patients after the weight loss surgeries in which he specializes. Since its introduction, the length of his patients’ stays has been shorter. In Gandsas’ study published earlier this month in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 92 of 376 patients had additional robotic visits, and all 92 of them were medically cleared to return home faster than those who did not receive check-ins with the teleconferencing system. Shorter patient stays would be a welcome change for hospitals, health insurance companies, and patients alike — all of which have a vested interested in sending patients home faster.
How does a prosthetic arm and hand work?
Watching the horrific injuries to the soldiers in Iraq and the rehab they have to go through, I wonder how those prosthetic arms and hands turn and move an grasp. Thanks for your help.
Industry Robot
