Prosthetics

1. Prosthetics Jacob Preston CS 536 November 19, 2013

2. Outline • Basic Types of Prosthetics • History • Modern (common) prosthetics • Future prosthetics Prosthesis: an artificial body part, such as a leg, a heart, or a breast implant. -Oxford Dictionary

3. Basic Types of Prosthetics • Internal Prosthetics • Artificial joints to replace worn down cartilage • Uses body’s existing muscle control system • External Prosthetics • Complete replacement of a limb • New control system required • Cosmetic Prosthetics • Used only to “improve” a person’s appearance – no functionality • Examples: ears, eyes, silicon implants, etc. • Neural Prosthetics (relatively new) • Integrate into body’s nervous system to replace damaged nerve systems

4. History • Ancient Egypt • Suspected that prosthetics were used more for a sense of wholeness • Recently discovered prosthetic toe • 424 BC: Persian seer condemned to death but escaped by cutting off his own foot and used a wooden filler to walk 30 miles • 300 BC: Bronze and iron artificial leg with wooden core for below-knee amputee • Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC): Roman general used an iron hand to hold his shield http://www.amputee-coalition.org/inmotion/nov_dec_07/history_prosthetics.html

5. History Continued • Dark Ages (476 – 1000): Prosthetics used to hide deformities or injuries – little functionality (peg legs and hand hooks) • 1508: Gotz von Berlichingen had a technologically advanced iron hand that could be positioned using the other hand • 1536: AmbroiseParé (considered to be the father of modern prosthesis) designed an above-knee prosthetic with adjustability. Started using light materials rather than heavy metals • Since Paré, minor advancements were made such as non-locking joints, more concealed mechanisms that were more natural looking, and better attachment methods • US Civil War was a time of many amputations, pushing the advancement of prosthetics http://www.amputee-coalition.org/inmotion/nov_dec_07/history_prosthetics.html

6. Modern Prosthetics - Intro • American Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) • Established in 1917 • Started as a result of the US military wanting to advance the technology used for prosthetics during World War I

7. Mechanical Prosthetics • Body-powered: Cables attached to prosthetic limb and somewhere else on body for control • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii7ByNe5SiM • Externally Powered: switches used to control motors • Switches controlled by body movements or remaining muscles in the amputated limb • Microprocessor controls motors to move the artificial limb

8. Adaptive Prosthetics • Special function prosthetics • Usually designed for athletic activities (i.e. running, holding a baseball bat, etc.)

9. Myoelectric Limbs • Senses muscle movements using electrodes to control motors • Terminator arm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUPnnROxvY

10. Future Prosthetics - Intro • General Goals • Integrate the prosthetic into the body’s nervous system • More advanced control • Capable of giving paralyzed people movement again • Feedback to the user through nervous system • Return the sense of touch • Make a complete replacement limb just as functional and useful as the original – or more?

11. Bionic Arm • Prosthetic senses electrical signals from nervous system to control movement • User moves the arm by thinking about it, no muscle movement required • Claudia Mitchell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1OBzc9QfIs

12. Avatar Limbs • Brain still produces electrical signals even if limb no longer exists • Avatar limbs sense these signals to control an arm not attached to the body • Monkeys learned to control avatar arms by moving joysticks – eventually learned to control the arms just by thinking about the movements • Challenge: how can you teach someone that is paralyzed to use an avatar limb?

13. Sense of Touch • Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) Reliable Neural-Interface Technology (RE-NET) • Give a sense of touch to a prosthetic limb • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpLzLduBGhU

14. Full Avatars • Currently Science Fiction • Remotely controlled body • Transplant brain to new body • Upload conciseness somewhere else • Can be used to completely replace soldiers on the battlefield • Simulated Life • Philosophical implications

15. Security Implications • As prosthetics get more advanced and more “disconnected” from the user, more possible security threats are introduced • Can someone take control of your avatar? • What happens if you lose connection with your avatar? • Can someone copy your consciousness if you already have the ability to upload it to a different body? • What happens to your old copy? • What happens to you as a sentient being?

16. Questions?

17. Sources • http://livehealthy.chron.com/different-types-prosthetics-1244.html • http://www.amputee-coalition.org/inmotion/nov_dec_07/history_prosthetics.html • http://www.aopanet.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=240&Itemid=343 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii7ByNe5SiM • http://science.howstuffworks.com/prosthetic-limb4.htm • http://www.upperlimbprosthetics.info/index.php?p=1_10_Externally-Powered • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUPnnROxvY • http://news.sciencemag.org/brain-behavior/2013/11/monkeys-use-minds-control-avatar-arms • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1OBzc9QfIs • http://www.darpa.mil/Our_Work/MTO/Programs/Reliable_Neural-Interface_Technology_(RE-NET).aspx • http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/30/darpa-muscle-controlled-prosthetic-limb/ • http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44938297/#.Uor-6MSX9sQ