Artificial Limbs Computers

Bodily Attributes!
By Seamus Dolly

The revolution is indeed underway. Money married to desire, imagination and necessity has produced a technological revolution which will see incredible changes and potential. This is not about any morbid fixation, but rather about complimentary technologies. Some religious ideologists, or ethically sensitive groups, may not approve. They may not feel they have to.

But, someone dealing with paralysis, for example, may have some hope for a productive future. Cybernetics, which is the introduction and implementation of hardware or non-organic components, into the body, has enormous potential. Micro processors and less invasive wireless technologies ( no need for physical connection ), result in the remote control of peripheral devices. A robotic arm, to mention a simple application that everyone is familiar with, can be controlled to manipulate the external world, or perform relatively simple tasks like switching on the kettle. Simpler again, and often more important, would be to scratch oneself, when itchy. If you ever wore a cast, you'll know what is meant by that.

Artificial muscles, however crude, can be made to perform simple functions, electrically. More sympathetically though, our own muscles behave in a similar way with the chemistry replacing the "wire" or conductor.

Relatively simple, fabric-like heart valves have been made, where the finance was limited and when life demanded something.

Artificial limbs are fairly common, and can range in complexity or performance. It is fairly safe to say that we all know someone who depends on these (though it might not be obvious ).

The artificial eye is a breakthrough and is here, and though it requires refinement, it will improve. And why wouldn't it? We all know of cameras and how their images are transportable. Compare any analogue camera with its modern digitial, and versatile counterpart, if at all possible and "see" what has been achieved. The thing here is to allow a blind person, for example, to access what a camera sees, where the eye has been irreversibly damaged or impaired. The optic nerve, however, may be just fine, so an interface between a camera and it, is one approach, and the approach that has returned some results.