Bionic Man

[RugbyD]

freakin' sweet, except for the whole 'not having arms' thing.

Bionic Man Moves Artificial Arm With Brain
Breakthrough Could Change Lives Of Amputees, Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries

CHICAGO -- Researchers have developed artificial arms that can be moved as it if they were real limbs, simply by thinking about making them move, according to Local 6 News.

When Jesse Sullivan's brain tells his arm to do something, it's done in seconds.

The world's first bionic man, Jesse Sullivan, 54, accidentally touched live wires while working as a utility lineman in Tennessee. He suffered severe burns, causing him to lose his arms.

Now, Sullivan is the first to try out the most sophisticated artificial arms ever designed.

Surgeons attached his arm nerves to healthy muscles in his chest.

"So now when Jess thinks, close hand, the impulse is picked up by a transmitter, and goes to his hand," doctor Todd Kuiken said. "He thinks, closes hand and it does."

Sullivan's hand rotates 360 degrees, according to the report. When Sullivan's brain tells his arm to do something, it's done in seconds and he has feeling in the bionic arm.

"This gives me a lot of hope," Sullivan said. "I was an independent kind of guy. I didn't ask anybody for anything. If I could do it, I did it."

Eventually tiny sensors in the fingertips will allow Sullivan to feel texture and temperature.

Doctors at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago said the breakthrough could change the lives of amputees, patients with spinal cord injuries and stroke victims, according to the report.

By the time it's perfected, the cost of manufacturing the bionic arm is expected to be about $6 million, according to the report.

For more information on the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Please click http://www.ric.org.

[JTWood]

Is this a new story? I could have sworn that someone posted something along these lines some time ago. Maybe not. If I remember, the other story was some guy in England.

Either way, this is sweet, but you know what it means, right? Have you ever seen Gattaca? We're on our way there right now...

[CubsFan7724]

Freakin sweet.

[kentx12]

Thats amazing.

[Madison]

Is this a new story? I could have sworn that someone posted something along these lines some time ago. Maybe not. If I remember, the other story was some guy in England.

Either way, this is sweet, but you know what it means, right? Have you ever seen Gattaca? We're on our way there right now...

Agreed, I remember hearing something like this before. Pretty cool though.

As to Gattica, I'm so many heartbeats over, I'd be terrified to hear the actual number.

[PlayingWithFire]

I was reading the whole story thinking it was a joke(read too many jokes in the General Talk Section?)

But good news indeed.

[Lofunzo]

I definitely saw something about this before but it's still cool.

[JTWood]

As to Gattica, I'm so many heartbeats over, I'd be terrified to hear the actual number.

That wasn't Gattica was it? I think I know what you're talking about - the movie where people were killed when they turned 30, or something, and these two people escaped out to find the rest of the world in shambles. It's an older movie, right?

Anyways, Gattica might actually be a bad example on my part. I don't think they were selling implants in that movie. I think it was all genetic engineering.

Sorry...

Still, it was a great movie.

[reznorsboy]

THis is good news for amputees. I would just be a little leary of when they malfunction as all electronics usually do at some point. Imagine if the guy was doing something he hadn't been able to do for a while and then crunch the hand closes. I guess iit would be cool if your hand had like 2000 lbs of force closing it. Anyone remember Jax from Mortal Combat? You could be like him.

[Simulacrum]

That is so cool. I knew real life would catch up with Star Wars at some point.