Open-Source Prosthetics 51
D H NG writes "Wired News has a story about the non-profit Open Prosthetics Project. The organization was founded last year by Jonathan Kuniholm, a graduate student in biomedical engineering at Duke University who lost his arm below the elbow in Iraq. Open Prosthetics Project applies the ethical and intellectual property foundation of open-source software to the task of building better artificial limbs. So far, the project has produced a 'handful' of useful homebrew prosthetic hacks, and is closing in on a solution that would dramatically improve the functionality of the common hook device."
That's because... (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
(Posting Anon cause I just know this is gonna get marked "overrated")
Moving arm - From Jesse to now (Score:4, Interesting)
Bionic Arm [www.cbc.ca].
It's really important that almost anyone could obtain this independence restoring medical device should they need one. Open Source ought to help with that, since I can just see some company trying to own a part and charging $5000 for a chip that you could get for $5 in Hong Kong.
New O'Reilly Book? (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:New O'Reilly Book? (Score:5, Funny)
I'd expect it to run FoldingLaundry@Home.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Since this is Slashdot, we'll have to assume you're living at home with your mother who does your laundry still.
Re: (Score:2)
Better than a hook? (Score:2)
Ya think? I mean aside from being perfectly designed to hang from the passenger door handle of teenage lovers' cars, a hook it not exactly the most useful interface in the modern world. How do you dial (or push) a telephone with a hook? How do you type with a hook?
Bravo for open source! It's about time someone designed something better than a hook, like maybe five knife fingers or a chainsaw.
It's a pretty complicated situation (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:It's a pretty complicated situation (Score:4, Interesting)
Admittedly, it might be neccessary to have an external battery pack to save space inside the artificial hand (since human muscles use metabolic energy, and we can't use that to power prosthetics yet), but that doesn't need to be in the same general area - a belt pack with a power cord up your sleve would do the trick and save on space.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroactive_polyme
Hehe... Human/Robot arm wrestling (Score:3, Interesting)
http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/EAP- armwrestling.htm [nasa.gov]
http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/amer ah/the-human-opponent.htm [nasa.gov]
Adaptive Grasp (Score:1)
I see a trend. (Score:2, Funny)
Cybernetics on the cheap (albeit not Open Source) (Score:3, Interesting)
tacky jokes (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
cool.. oh (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Open source transhumanism? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Since the software and hardware which we use now are open source, to the extent that we understand them, it makes sense for our new infrastructure to be open as well.
Since I am getting on in age, I have decided to go it alone in this direction, since medical science won't be delivering any solutions to ageing in the next hundred years or so. Do you kno
Re: (Score:1)
don't build them... (Score:3, Informative)
Yes, but... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Open source designs for your... you know...? (Score:2)
The next step..... (Score:2)
What the market demands, someone eventually builds.
I can't imagine... (Score:1)
while (3 != 5)
{
openFist();
closeFist();
}
this is tremendous (Score:1)
(Unfortunately, my particular case can't be handled by mechanical engineering. It's all about the steady hand of an artisan.)
Please do not doubt the life-changing/enhancing work that will come out of this.
beyond prosthetics ... hearing! (Score:2)
Not to mention, it would be nice for HA wearers to be able to m
Re: (Score:2)
Costs? (Score:1)
Oh wait...
Compile this.... (Score:1)
The Stallman Hook (Score:1)
'Aye, Matey' exclaims an idealist gimp, with enthusiasm.
Other Prosthetics implementations (Score:1, Offtopic)
Mac- Extremely stylish. Has a slot for your ipod. Comes in two colors - white and black. Only left-handed version available.
Gentoo- Roll your own limb. Pick your material (fiberglass? carbon fiber? titanuim?) and choose from a dizzing array of cast types. Select anything from a simple hook to the latest robotic digits. Spend a good 6 months to a year molding, casting it, and trying to
What's on a man's mind? (Score:1)