So, I think we can all agree that losing a limb is a guaranteed way to ruin anybody's day. For the longest time, however, science fiction has offered us promises of a worlds where lost limbs could be easily replaced with robotic counterparts just as good (if not better) than the original.
Of course, seeing the bulky, crude prosthetics we have today, we're still a good way off from that goal. But thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, we may be one step closer.
This is still in the testing phase, of course, and prosthetics still have a long, long way to go before we're all at Adam Jensen levels (whether or not we asked for it). Still, it's an encouraging step forward for the millions out there (including many veterans) who have lost their natural limbs; we're finally getting closer to making functional replacements for the real things.
Of course, it's also nice that I'm now also one step closer to achieving my childhood dream of cybernetic Godhood (Came right after "Fireman").
TL;DR
(Also, since it's kind of related, I found an interesting article on how technology like this, along with the advances being made in other fields, will change our basic definition of humanity. I'm sure some of you, if you're like me, have heard all this before, but it's still an interesting nontheless.)
Of course, seeing the bulky, crude prosthetics we have today, we're still a good way off from that goal. But thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, we may be one step closer.
A replacement limb that moves, feels and responds just like flesh and blood. It’s the holy grail of prosthetics research. The Pentagon’s invested millions to make it happen. But it’s been elusive — until, quite possibly, now.The body’s own nerves are arguably the biggest barrier towards turning the dream of lifelike replacements into a reality. Peripheral nerves, severed by amputation, can no longer transmit or receive any of the myriad sensory signals we rely on every day. Trying to fuse them with robot limbs, to create a direct neural-prosthetic interface, is no easy task.But now a team of scientists believe they’ve overcome that massive barrier. Their research is still in the early stages. But if successful, it’d yield artificial arms and legs that can move with agility; discern hot from lukewarm from freezing; and restore even the subtlest sensations of touch.
Source: Wired
This is still in the testing phase, of course, and prosthetics still have a long, long way to go before we're all at Adam Jensen levels (whether or not we asked for it). Still, it's an encouraging step forward for the millions out there (including many veterans) who have lost their natural limbs; we're finally getting closer to making functional replacements for the real things.
Of course, it's also nice that I'm now also one step closer to achieving my childhood dream of cybernetic Godhood (Came right after "Fireman").
TL;DR
(Also, since it's kind of related, I found an interesting article on how technology like this, along with the advances being made in other fields, will change our basic definition of humanity. I'm sure some of you, if you're like me, have heard all this before, but it's still an interesting nontheless.)