DARPA's Artificial Arm Comes With VR Training

An anonymous reader writes "The first prototype of an artificial limb commissioned by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency can reportedly be controlled naturally, provide sensory feedback and allows for eight degrees of freedom — way beyond the current state of the art for prosthetic limbs. Oh yeah, it also has its own VR environment to learn how to use it."

Re:

[jack455]

Sorry, that was kind of the point. I can see exactly what you're saying, and was trying to be tongue-in-cheek.

I thought if I asked for something(s) unreasonable people would get it.

And the fp thing is first-post. People seem to have to point out that they 'got it'.

It also totally ruins the joke

I guess so does trying to explain it...

Anyway, welcome; stick around, most don't care about karma. And it's better to have karma-whores than trolls. They're generally the same attention-grubbing types, but now they're spending all that effort NOT

Re:

[xubu_caapn]

Ah, okay. Maybe I haven't been around here long enough to realize it :)

Re:

[zippthorne]

No, it was a clear Kharma-whoring sneak-in. It's just a "joke" because he got caught. I, too, don't understand the why though. It's not like there's a number anymore, or that it's hard to get Excellent Kharma. All you gotta do is like five posts or so that people find useful.

If you think your kharma is too low, just refrain from posting unless you have something to say. Even things that are counter to the "groupthink" get modded up if they're at least one of well-written, insightful, or refrain from ex

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

I, for one, welcome our new karma-whoring joke-ruining overlords.

Re:

[Timesprout]

I thought it was funny initially, but after reading your plea at the bottom, I was ashamed for laughing at it.

Give it a while and Slashdot will help you get used to the shame, the pent up anger, the feelings of inadequacy and futility by giving you modpoints. Then you can be a bacchanalian Slashgod. Well until your points run out or the metamods take a dislike to you anyway.

Re:

[aktzin]

I always heard talk of a 3rd arm, now I can get one. But where should I put it?

Zaphod, is that you?

- This message was brought to you by the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation

Re:

[jack455]

still waiting for the virtual-reality head.

Re:I want an extra!

[fractoid]

still waiting for virtual-reality head.

fixt.

Re:I want an extra!

[ryeinn]

I think I would want to know what those eight degrees are before signing up. I mean, if they're all the normal articulation points, plus rotations and open/closing the hand, cool. If maybe two are motion and the rest are crap like the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press and so on...well, I don't want to give an opening for these to go from Robot-arm servants to Robot-arm overlords. And letting our arms get their fair say in the media is only the first step...

Will this prosthetic arm

[Travoltus]

cost me a leg?

*wonk wonk wonk*
*eyes rolling all around the world* :)

Re:

[Xiph]

Well, it's nice to see that a proper human-computer interface is finally at a stage where it becomes usable.

People will definately get started on the whole "How cool would it be if you did ".
And the right minded rational pragmatic people will say no we're not gonna do that.

My prediction is that it's the first people who will be right,
once we can properly hook up and control something with our nervous system (instead of by muscle control),
It is simply more economical to use this for various tasks where a hum

And the sad part is

[Timesprout]

There are probably a few geeks out there considering amputating their own arm so they getting one of these prosthetics to play with.

Re:

[happyemoticon]

Screw amputation, I want to go Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Nothin' to be sad about,

[Asmandeus]

When you're lookin' to become a razorguy, chummer.

Re:

[master_p]

The truly sad part is that a few geeks out there consider solving the problem of surfing pr0n with this device...

Re:

[Capt James McCarthy]

"The truly sad part is that a few geeks out there consider solving the problem of surfing pr0n with this device..."

Only if it can be mounted to the chair and has a 'Turbo' button.

Re:

[Grishnakh]

Why would you need to amputate a perfectly good arm?

Why not just have 4 arms, like that character on Mortal Kombat? I can think of lots of uses for extra arms.

No video link?

[erroneus]

...I think I saw this, though, on the ESB.

Is it possible

[DogDude]

Call me cynical, but it is possible that companies making *very* expensive, prosthetic limbs for the Defense Department that happens to have many, MANY soldiers coming back missing limbs, that the companies involved with making these things could be considered one of the defense contractors that are pretty happy about the current war-happy administration?

That would be disturbing.

Why yes they are

[pizzach]

I have an artificial leg for the last 11 years. (It was amputated when I was 12 because of bone cancer.) Talking to the doctor when He was fitting me for my newest model, I learned that development is speeding up again because of more income. Insurance companies are afraid to say "no" to more technically sophisticated (read expensive) artificial limbs with all of the returning soldiers. Insurance companies either get overly stingy or give too much. It's during periods like this that I should get a new model made.

I am happy with my handy dandy new cleg. [ottobockus.com] I just wish I didn't get the feeling that I have to out think the CPU sometimes. It's taken about 8 months to not walk like a total retard, but I still haven't gotten to the point where people don't look at me funny. On the bright side, I can do roller blading and ice skating with this knee. That is a great way to pick up chicks along with my sexy leopard print socket.

Re:

[svunt]

Talking to the doctor when He was fitting me for my newest model

Damn, your doctor must be good to deserve a capitalised He :)

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Damn, your doctor must be good to deserve a capitalised He :)

Jesus is his co-pilot, and God is his doctor.

Re:

[tsalaroth]

Wait.. he's a Christian Scientist? Then why did he get his leg ampu...

Nevermind.

Re:

[blincoln]

On the bright side, I can do roller blading and ice skating with this knee.

That's really impressive. Can you describe how it's controlled? The manufacturer's website is a little vague in that regard.

Re:

[DogDude]

You should see if you can get a bionic leg that is better than human legs. Something with some kind of super-jumping power, or maybe something made out of solid titanium so you can whack the hell out of people. Oh, and maybe you can get something with the Million-Dollar-Man super sound effects. That would be really cool. You'd have to beat the chicks off with a stick.

light sabers

[pizzach]

Actually, I was hoping to get a leg that makes Star Wars light saber sound effects. It would be so dramatic walking.

Re:

[DogDude]

Very dramatic. But let me tell ya'... nothing screams "geek" louder than a prosthetic leg that sounds like a light saber. Well, maybe one that sounds like a light saber and runs Linux. :)

Re:

[xtal]

No, but it's about time some serious research was put into this. There are likely other implications for this as well.

Re:Is it possible

[dreamchaser]

Of course it's possible. War has always driven technology development in various fields, including medical applications.

Re:

[Unknownk Kadath]

OH NO!

The DoD is investing in artificial limbs for wounded soldiers!

How evil and suspicious!!!!111one

How long before Debian ARM is ported?

[Gothmolly]

Someone's going to hack this thing and put linux on it, probably the OpenWRT or NSLU2-Linux guys.

Re:

[Ngarrang]

Probably will happen at the same time creates ARM-BSD.

So, which current OS would YOU prefer your artificial body to run?

Re:

[WED Fan]

Someone's going to hack this thing and put linux on it, probably the OpenWRT or NSLU2-Linux guys.

And then it will require all sorts of special .conf files to configure each action. Lock up when it doesn't like the half written drivers. Refuses to work for returning vets because some military hating geek used GPL3AM (anti-military) for some of his code, and doesn't work in Israel because another driver was written by a Belgian geek with too much political bs on his mind rather than coding. Fails when leavin

Re:

[Doddman]

nrrrk how awesome would it be if it were controlled by an ARM processor?

Re:

[Gothmolly]

Idiot, it was a joke, get it - running Debian ARM... ON AN ACTUAL ARM.

Geesh.

Really bad taste...

[zappepcs]

Will the VR environment help you play doom?

Will it be programmed to prevent the wearer from going on a shooting rampage?

If the wearer uses it to masturbate, does they violate any laws?

I hope this dosen't...

[Brad1138]

Start a new "arms" race...

Very sorry, had to say it.

Re:

[EvilTwinSkippy]

Well at least you didn't mention the 2nd admendment at the right to bear arms.

That would have been cliche.

So a beowulf cluster of these...

[doyoulikeworms]

would be a virtual circle jerk?

DARPA's funding a bunch of these

[Gertlex]

http://www.neurotechreports.com/pages/darpaprosthe tics.html [neurotechreports.com]

Another notable investment by DARPA is 18.1 million invested in DEKA, led in part by Dean Kamen. Dean showed a video of their current work at the FIRST Robotics Championship earlier this month. It's pretty neat, but is primarily a mechanical design, with the goal of accurate control in gripping and doing every day things (wipe your nose with the back of your hand, even). The video shown was of a prototype that was remotely controlled (as opposed

Nothing New:

[horli]

http://www.ottobock.com/cps/rde/xchg/SID-3F574DD1- 4F9E32A8/ob_com_en/hs.xsl/384.html [ottobock.com] The biggest *practical* problem is not sensoring or the number of degrees but battery lifetime vs. size and weight. Otto Bock hands are outstanding in energy efficiency and miniaturization. The dominate the market with outstanding technology for over 30 years. (nerve sensors to direct the hand were invented 30 years ago by them; 'MyoBock') They incorporate the world smallest automatic gearbox (patented). http://www.goo [google.at]

Re:

[progbuc]

I was one of the main firmware developers on the arm. It actually has two batteries that last several hours under reasonably heavy use and has strength comparable to a real human arm. For anyone interested, the degrees of freedom are shoulder, humeral rotation, elbow, wrist rotation, wrist flexion, unified finger grasp, and thumb position. I'm not sure where they got the "8 degrees of freedom" from. It's actually only 7.

Re:

[horli]

Whats the size and weight of the arm? What's the force on the fingers? Whats the speed of open closing the fingers? Otto Bock's Greifer has 160 N (16 kg) finger-force. That's way more than a human hand can do and necessery for heavy duty working with the arm. (you can even use it as a vice)

I'm glad to see this use of military $$$

[NixieBunny]

I'm married to an amputee, and I am not happy with the current administration's use of my tax dollars going to the other side of the world to cause a ruckus. It's nice that the government is finally supporting work in this area. It's one good outcome from this ill-conceived war.

Also available

[psaunders]

Luke Skywalker's replacement right duelling hand. Optional black glove accessory. Lightsaber not included.

I want a custom model please...

[Spy der Mann]

One that looks like this [wikipedia.org], in silver :)

Re:

[Geminii]

It'd be interesting to see a history of devices incorporated into prosthetics by hacker-minded home users. Personally, I'd like the hardware components of a cellphone, a universal remote, a small display screen, and maybe the ability for the arm to lengthen so I could reach behind furniture or pick stuff up off the floor without bending. And maybe a USB slot I could stick a flavor-of-the-month wireless NIC on. Software-wise, the best generalist app would be an ability to drop into a "virtual mode" where a

USB port included?

[Circlotron]

If it has eight degrees of freedom or whatever, it'd be neat if it had a USB port so while you were asleep you could rent it out to do CNC work, have it do your homework, feed the cat, tidy your room etc. Step right up folks. See the human XY plotter. Dang you could carve good statues! Eventually if they become common enough we might see them available on eBay "second hand". Who's that sponsoring the development? The "army"?

Alternative strategy for prosthetics

[Anonymous Coward]

have less wars.

Re:

[Grishnakh]

Yeah, it sucks for those people in NK. However, this isn't the fault of one man; it's the fault of the entire nation. If they don't like their government, it's their responsibility to change it. This isn't like Darfur or Iraq or Turkey or other places, where one group of people is oppressing a different group of people. The North Koreans are all one people living in the same place.

What can other countries do? Any invasion to "liberate" these people will just result in enormous bloodshed. NK, after all

VR training ? DARPA ?

[llandeiloBoy]

Metal Gear is about to become real!

Demon-strated

[mikael]

I like the use of the hyphenated "demon-strated" in the article...

"During clinical evaluation of the limb at RIC, Jesse Sullivan, a patient of Dr. Kuiken, demon-strated substantial improvements in functional testing,".

It conjures up images of some kind of Doom-esque cyber-demon stomping around and firing off rocket grenades from his arm....

Here's a much better written article

[yog]

Here's [physorg.com] a much better article. That blog submitted by the op was cut and pasted rather poorly.

Innervation is the key to making this stuff work right. If they can hook up enough sensory and motor nerves to these prosthetic limbs, they will come to feel like a part of the body, though the nervous system may need to adjust itself a bit.

I would expect that the ultimate solution will be a biological limb grown from the patient's own stem cells. Nerve hook-up will still be a major issue, because we don't

DEKA

[Mazin07]

Dean Kamen (who also brought us the Segway) was showing this off in Atlanta. Currently, it's like a remote. One guy wears a sensory "exo-arm" whose movements are copied by the robotic arm. It's kind of laggy and there's no sensory feedback, but allows for some pretty precise and complex movements.

What they haven't done yet is allow a person who is missing an arm to actually control it. That's the hard part. Dean just did the mechanics of it.

It's all in the training

[smchris]

If they based the VR on Six Million Dollar Man reruns, the guy will rip his shoulder out.

Cool! A Minnie Driver/Anne Hathaway love scene.

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

> The first prototype of an artificial limb can be controlled naturally, provide
> sensory feedback and allows for eight degrees of freedom -- way beyond the current
> state of the art for prosthetic limbs

Ooooh! I wonder how it does for repetitive, gentle but firm motions?

A hacker's paradise?

[pragma_x]

As more and more money gets funneled through DARPA/DoD for all this stuff, you have to wonder where we'll be in a few years. Will there be more cheap prosthetics for all to use? Will they become cheap enough to become hackable?

I know what I'd want if I lost my arm - a prosthetic with a USB port. Seriously. Why train yourself to type with the new arm when you could just train yourself to tickle the pins on an I/O port - especially if it has feedback.