Eye- and face-tracking systems already help you communicate when your hands aren't an option, but what if you want to have some fun? You're covered there, too. Andreas Refsgaard has built Eye Conductor, an app designed to help the paralyzed (and virt...
It's possible for paralysis victims to type and otherwise communicate with the world, but they usually have to do so at a glacial pace. They might not be nearly so limited in the future, though. In experiments combining BrainGate2 (a high-speed n...
A paraplegic has walked without robotics using his own brain waves, thanks to research done at Southern California's UC Irvine. Scientists used a computer to "link" 28-year-old Adam Fritz's brain to his legs over a Bluetooth connection, bypassing t...
This poor rat had his little spinal cord severed in a perfectly controlled laboratory experiment… let’s tell him it was an accident; a freak lab accident. While yes, it does indeed suck to be him, the good news is that he’s walking again. The Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (EPFL) has used a new method of spinal stimulation to help the furry little dude walk again.. That’s right, they electrically stimulate the spinal cord to tell the legs what to do.
Normally, spinal stimulation is difficult or impossible because any given amplitude and frequency of electric pulses rarely works more then once. That’s right, severed spinal cords adapt to not survive, like the galaxy’s crappiest borg. EPFL, like Captain Picard’s crew, have created a device that automatically adjusts the pulses so that the spine can learn properly. The result is that they’ve developed algorithms that allow them to electrically puppet the rats’ bodies into walking and even climbing stairs.
What’s actually cool about this, rather than just impressive, but sad and creepy, is that human trials are planned for the coming summer. Of course, rather than a gaggle of scientists forcing you to walk up stairs, the plan is to use this in concert with existing technology to help paralyzed people regain control of their lost limbs. That’s awesome.
[via IFL Science]
We've seen a good number of electronic gloves before, and now researchers at Georgia Tech have devised one to rehabilitate patients who suffer from paralyzing spinal cord injuries while teaching them how to tickle the ivories. Christened Mobile Music Touch, the black mitt pairs with a keyboard and cues individual fingers with vibrations to play notes. The handgear also buzzes constantly for several hours to stimulate recovery while users go about their day, similar to another yellowjacket-developed solution. After treatment, some patients could pick up objects and feel textures they hadn't been able to -- especially remarkable since, according to the university, little improvement is typically seen a year after injuries are sustained. Folks who learned to play the piano with the device also experienced better results than those who did without it. Project leader Dr. Tanya Markow believes that the rehab's success could be caused by renewed brain activity that sometimes lies dormant. For the full skinny, head past the break for the press release and a video of the gauntlet in action.
[Thanks, Timothy]
Filed under: Science
Vibrating glove gives piano lessons, helps rehab patients regain finger sensation and motor skills originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Researchers at the Braingate2 consortium have made a breakthrough that allows people with spinal cord or stroke injuries to control robotic limbs with their minds. The original project allowed subjects with motor cortex-implanted chips to move cursors on a screen with their minds, but they can now command DEKA and DLR mechanical arms to grasp foam balls and sip coffee. Researchers noted that dropped objects and missed drinks were frequent, but improved brain sensors and more practice by subjects should help. To see the power of the mind move perhaps not mountains, but good ol' java, jump to the video below.
Continue reading Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video)
Mind-operated robot arm helps paralyzed woman have her cup o' joe (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Ars Technica | Nature | Email this | Comments Doctors and researchers are putting intense effort into researching fixes for people who have paralyzed arms and legs from accidents or degenerative conditions. A team of doctors has been able to “rewire” the hands of a 71-year-old man who lost most use of his arms after an accident that left him with a broken neck.
The surgeons took healthy nerves from the man’s body and used them to bridge the damaged nerves affecting his hands. The operation was performed at the Washington University School of Medicine, and the doctors hope that the operation could prove to be a breakthrough for people suffering from spinal cord injuries.
Once the new nerves were connected to the damaged areas, the man received extensive physical therapy. Eight months after the operation, he was able to move the thumb and fingers of his left hand, and after 10 months he was able to move the fingers of his right hand. Prior to the surgery, the man had limited movement in his arms, but lacked the ability to grasp or hold things in either hand. The man is now able to feed himself and write to a limited extent. Unfortunately, they cannot restoring truly “normal” function using this procedure. In this instance, for example, the man had to teach his mind to use a nerve that normally bends the arm and elbow to make the grasping hand movements.
[via Journal of Neurosurgery via Guardian]