Remember the old TV show The 6 Million Dollar Man with Lee Majors or the more recent Bionic Woman? The premise of these fictional shows was that after some kind of horrible accident, science was able to “rebuild” a human using robotics and cutting edge science & theory. The resulting upgrades gave the person enhanced strength, speed and vision. The only drawback to the whole process was the cost. Luckily there was always some quasi-governmental institution to pay for everything because nothing says “good intentions” like a shadow organization with it’s own agenda.
Well, science has unfortunately advanced so far that the cost for many of the upgrades is now much more affordable. The Institute of Engineering and Technology in London looked into cutting-edge robotics and technology now available to put into a human. These “upgrades” include the eyes, hands, legs and overall strength; all things a hybrid robot can use to conquer humanity.
How to turn a Brit into a robot courtesy of Lee Majors
Eyes: The Argus II
How can a scientist give someone robot eyes?
The best fit for the bionic eye is the Argus II, which is more accurately the artificial retina developed by Second Sight, a California-based medical company. In clinical trials – some carried out by a team at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London – blind patients fitted with the device have reported some restored vision, to the extent of seeing areas of light and vague shapes where before there was only darkness.
Surgeons attach an electrode-studded array to the retina with a microtack the width of a human hair. The patient then wears sunglasses with a tiny video camera and transmitter built in, powered by a microprocessor and battery worn on the belt.
Although it may not seem very special since Argus II doesn’t restore full vision, giving a blind person the ability to see light and shapes is very impressive and scary. Instead of giving a robot hybrid specialized video cameras and recognition equipment/ software and hoping that maybe it all works together they can be given artificial retinas so that they can see and recognize things using their human brain. The artificial retinas send signals to the brain from the video camera just like a normal retina (minus the camera). At least the robot hybrids can accessorise with the hot new style of shades.
Hands: i-LiMB
Is it like the iPod of robot hands?
The i-LIMB is the world’s first fully-articulating, commercially-available bionic hand. Created by Touch Bionics it features a highly intuitive control system that uses a traditional two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the fingers.
A patient fitted with the hand can not only move their fingers but can “grasp with a full power grip, they can use the index finger for touching key pads, they can hold the thumb onto the index finger and rotate keys or hold credit cards”, according to Hugh Gill, director of technology and operations for Touch Bionics.
So the robotic hand functions much like a human hand. Luckily there are no lasers or other weaponry in it…yet.
There’s nothing to stop you applying much more power to a prosthetic hand than a human hand could manage, says Gill, “but the problem in doing that is that individual could cause damage to other individuals”.
At least Mr. Gill recognizes the potential danger that these bionic hands pose, but sadly he doesn’t seem to fully grasp the extreme damage his creation could have when used by a robot hybrid in a vicious fit of rage on an innocent human.
Legs: Ossur Power Knee
Do they let someone jump over skyscrapers and beyond?
With pioneering products like the Power Knee, Ossur have gone a stage further – and put power into prosthetics. Not only does the battery-powered motor replace the lost muscle power, the device’s sensors measure motion, position and velocity of the sound leg, providing feedback to the built-in processor. That helps the Power Knee to anticipate the motion on the prosthetic side even before the next step takes place.
Most people have seen another Ossur product – the Cheetah running blades.
The Power Knee is the next step forward, adding a motor and a processor. The main purpose behind it is to replace a leg for an amputee and make it much easier for them to move. The motor and processor work in conjunction to simulate how a real leg functions to allow much easier movement compared to using a walker or crutches. If used in a robot it would already seem rather scary, but what else could possibly be added to the Power Knee?
Mind control is next.
WHAT?!
“The absolute next stage is when we connect directly with the neural pathways of the body so we can either have conscious or sub-conscious control of a prosthesis like the way we do with our own limbs. That’s the missing link at the moment.”
So the legs don’t control your mind but vice-versa. That’s a relief, but eventually the day may come where your robot eyes and legs coordinate against your brain.
Strength: Human exoskeleton
Exactly how strong can an exoskeleton make someone?
Berkeley Bionics is the leader in this field. The US university spin-off firm has developed an exoskeleton comprised of two powered anthropomorphic legs, a small on-board computer and a backpack-like frame for bearing weights which no unenhanced human could carry for long.
The wearer can carry significant loads on his or her back with little effort over any type of terrain for hours. And, thanks to computer analysis, the exoskeleton soon moves in concert with the person inside.
Whatever is inside the exoskeleton is in full control of its movement but does not suffer the consequences of carrying such large loads. With an exoskeleton, a robot hybrid could carry possibly thousands of pounds of supplies, such as weapons and human body parts used as trophies.
So, did you imagine you could replace your eyes, hands and legs while adding a powerful exo-skeleton on the cheap? It must be a sale; get ‘em while they last!
In all seriousness, all of these technologies are just the beginning of trying to turn humans into robots. As is often the case, everything is meant to solve a medical problem and to better one’s life, but if research is left unchecked, human robot hybrids will become a reality; especially if the prices continue dropping.
::from Institution of Engineering and Technology via Mail Online::
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i love Bionic Woman. i wish there were real bionic women out there.”‘~