Bionic Monkeys!

[djtoast]

YouTube - Robo-monkey uses brain power to feed...

link

Look Mum, no hands! Two monkeys have managed to use brain power to control a robotic arm to feed themselves. The feat marks the first time a brain-controlled prosthetic limb has been wielded to perform a practical task.


Previous demonstrations in monkeys and humans have tapped into the brain to control computer cursors and virtual worlds, and even to clench a robot hand. But complicated physical activities like eating are "a completely different ball game", says Andrew Schwarz, a neurological engineer at the University of Pittsburgh, who led the new research.


Tests with humans are being prepared in numerous labs, but experts caution that brain-controlled robotic limbs are far from freeing paraplegics from their wheelchairs or giving amputees their limbs back.

exciting! when they can hook me up to a car so that i can eat a sandwich and chat on the phone with my hands without having to also battle with the steering wheel and gear stick, i'll be first in the queue.

[slicer]

To be honest, it looks pretty sick restraining the poor thing.

[JZY]

Least hes getting marshmallows

[slicer]

That's true.....we're fresh out of them in the office :s

[djtoast]

Originally Posted by slicer

To be honest, it looks pretty sick restraining the poor thing.

you have to look at the bigger picture and think of all the good that could come of this research though. I mean, that whole thing about adolscent boys sitting on their hand to make it go numb so it feels like someone else is making them go blind... well those days'd be over.

plus, think of the sick finger tapping action guitarists could do with an extra hand!

in reality of course it would just mean that six years olds in india were expected to stitch footballs twice as quickly i suppose.

[slicer]

I shouldnae laugh at this, but I did