In order for robotic limbs to be controlled by the brain and not by a motor, what kind of materials could be used to simulate nerve tissue to transmit signals from the brain to the limb? Also, what type of lightweight yet sturdy material could be used for these limbs? Do you think there’s a way our bodies could power these limbs, or will an outside energy source always be needed?
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ROBOTIC PROSTHETIC LIMBS - post by Luis Seminario
The other day I was watching the movie “I, Robot” and one
particular aspect of the movie got me thinking about materials. In this movie,
Del Spooner (Will Smith) had been in a car accident that resulted in one of his
arms being replaced with a robotic arm. This robotic arm looked and functioned
like a regular human arm, but it was also much stronger. I know that there is
currently some research going on regarding robotic prosthetic limbs,
particularly with prosthetics that could be controlled by the brain. Currently
most robotic prosthetics being used or researched by the military, such as the C-Leg,
are battery powered and model the behavior of normal limbs. Another example is
the PowerFoot BiOM, a lower leg limb that provides power from one step to the
next by imitating the ankle, calf, and Achilles’ tendon functions.
In order for robotic limbs to be controlled by the brain and not by a motor, what kind of materials could be used to simulate nerve tissue to transmit signals from the brain to the limb? Also, what type of lightweight yet sturdy material could be used for these limbs? Do you think there’s a way our bodies could power these limbs, or will an outside energy source always be needed?
In order for robotic limbs to be controlled by the brain and not by a motor, what kind of materials could be used to simulate nerve tissue to transmit signals from the brain to the limb? Also, what type of lightweight yet sturdy material could be used for these limbs? Do you think there’s a way our bodies could power these limbs, or will an outside energy source always be needed?
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After seeing "I, Robot" for the first time, I thought about the same things. My primary concern with the movie's depiction of the arm (and the robots) was its power source. Modern materials are becoming strong enough and lightweight enough (carbon fiber, composites) to mimic a human limb, that is for sure, but how can the fluidity of motion be mimicked and powered by something that is permanently integrated into the human body?
ReplyDeleteI do not have any idea how to answer the question of power but I think it points to an issue that spreads well beyond the realm of prosthesis. The need to generate and store power without bulky battery packs and without plugging into the wall every night can be applied across nearly every industry and I believe will be a necessity in the coming years.
The fluidity of motion also calls for new ways to control joints. Currently things such as servos may be implemented to control movement, however these must be miniaturized while maintaining the joint strength and power found in a natural human arm.
Once these problems are solved, however, I think I may have some transplants done.
What about piezoelectric materials? I think they'd be an ideal class of materials to address the joint control problem. By running an electrical current through the material to produce the desired deformation, I'd think we'd have a better chance at replicating the fluidity so commonly exhibited by organic limbs.
ReplyDeleteThe power issue is one that I can see as a significant issue as well. Micro and Nano Electromechanical Systems are now being developed that may have a chance at addressing this issue- think of micro- and nano-scale turbines and power generators that can be implanted in the body to harvest energy from natural flows and gradients (blood flows in large arteries as well as osmotic and ion concentration gradients). Wild stuff!
As far as powering the arm, some type of energy harvesting material could be used to generate energy based on vibration or motion of the arm.
ReplyDeleteI kind of feel like the desire to make these really sophisticated limbs isn't that great of an idea. The percentage of people that have the highly sophisticated ones is probably like 2%, its really low. I feel like there are a bunch of amputees that just need a simple functional prosthetic limb that doesn't tell you what the temperature and time of day is, but is solely there for the purpose of providing someone a limb that needs one. A bunch of money that would have otherwise been spent on making unnecessary innovations, could instead be spent funding the people that are less fortunate money-wise and giving them the limbs they need.
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