The Upgrade

Prosthetics have made their upgrade.

     One of the most important parts of an invention is the technology it originates from.  There are many different designs with bionic limbs, but the one I believe is the most promising and substantial to society is Hugh Herr's bionic propulsion.  Yes, his ingenious technology took me about five to ten times to fully comprehend how it works, regardless, it is where no other prosthetic has gone before.  After Herr lost both of his legs to frostbite in a rock climbing accident, he demonstrates his credibility and determination as he rock climbs with his own creation, The BiOM T2, and stays as active as any non amputee every single day.  The courage it takes for Herr to get back up on his feet and continue doing what he loves after facing such a traumatic experience is unbelievable.  The advancement of prosthetic limbs is exceeding expectations, thanks to this man's determination. 

The problems with the previous prosthetics were they lacked comfort and mobility.  Whether it was made out of plastic or some other kind of material, the amputee would face as much trouble as if they did not wear the prosthetic at all.  Second, it would cause the wearer to tire more quickly, walk more slowly, and even risk facing health problems farther down the road.  Mobility and comfort go hand in hand and Herr understood that you need to have both in order to create the perfect prosthetic.  From his company BiOM Personal Bionics, they acknowledge, “The BiOM emulates a natural gait by providing bionic propulsion to assist the user’s mobility.  Bionic propulsion actually drives the user, providing the energy to climb stairs and walk up hills.  The technology of bionic Propulsion also includes stiffness modulation, which is the progressive hardening of the ankle movement to naturally decelerate the body in a manner and speed equivalent to a healthy ankle” (BiOM Personal Bionics).  Basically BiOM is explaining that when someone needs the prosthetic to be soft, it remains soft, and when they need it to be as stiff as a board, it becomes stiff.  Bionic propulsion opens many doors when it comes to the use of its technology but for right now,  anyone reading this will probably have their doubts about the advancement of the prosthetic limb until they see some actual concrete studies and results.  Well, without further ado, here you go.

 

According to Science Direct, a study was done between a common carbon foot prosthetic to a bionic foot, (Proprio-Foot) comparing the energy cost of each while walking.  Anna Delussu and other scientists tested ten transtibial amputees (TTAs) and had them walk on a treadmill at different speeds.  They concluded, “Ten TTAs completed the measurements. ECW with the Proprio-Foot obtained in the final floor-walking test was significantly lower than ECW with the DCF.  No significant improvements were observed for perceived mobility or walking ability” (Delussu).  That should feed your hunger for a moment.  Already our prosthetic has evolved leading to the energy cost of walking reduced.  Progress is progress ladies and gentleman.  I almost left off the last part about studying the mobility and walking ability, but if you watched the TED Talks video on the home page, the wearer was amazed at their maneuvering ability compared to the traditional prosthetic. Seeing someone who was once crippled wearing these bionic legs and can now move around their house with ease and do more than they ever could, that is all the proof I need.

When I look at these designs such as Hugh Herr and Michael McLoughlin, I laugh because it seems we only see these advancements in movies and video games.  Like it or not, this is what the age of technology brings us, something new and full of potential. Michael McLoughlin, the head designer of the bionic arm at Johns Hopkins and Courtney Moran, who works with their patients at Johns Hopkins, have not only created comfort and mobility, but these bionic arms act as if it was one’s own real arm.  According to CBS News  Moran reports, “It takes a while to learn how to do functional tasks because it takes practice… it’s not like practicing with the other prosthetics they have because it feels immediately like they’re practicing with their own arm instead, because you can move- all the fingers move, all the joints move, the wrists move” (Moran).  Could you imagine trying to move your prosthetic arm for the first time after facing reality that you will never have that ability?  I wish I could be in the room seeing their patients' faces light up as they reach for an object and hold it in their bionic hand.  It truly is remarkable. And I'm sure it won't take long for the wearer to understand its all the bells and whistles he or she can contribute to society once more.  If I was given a bionic arm, I know I would spend every day practicing with it and make sure I would be able to perform the same tasks on my real arm and my new bionic arm.  The attention and social effect I would get alone would have a huge impact on my life. Imagine how easy it would be to get a girlfriend or boyfriend when you can actually hug someone or hold someone in your arms, both real and bionic.  If I was told there is a bionic arm that could allow met to function like a normal human arm, I would be like a kid in a candy store.  McLoughlin’s design feels as if someone is actually practicing movement with their very own arm, until now no other prosthetic has achieved this feat.  Through this advancement, previous prosthetics will slowly become storage as this new technology exposes them for their immobility and comfort.  I almost feel like we are in the movie iRobot and all the traditional, outdated machines are replaced by new shiny more advanced robots.  Luckily, we are not leading ourselves into a war, humans versus machines and Will Smith has to stop the machines from taking over the world.  We are only introducing parts of a machine, not the entire body, that is whole other issue and for another generation to blog about. 


Now if you watched the TED Talks video from the home page, you heard about more than just prosthetics, he was talking about going even farther.  Exo-suits, clothing that fits synthetically to our skin, knee and ankle braces to wear to improve your maneuverability and reduce pain when you are staying active.  These are all things which Hugh Herr will bring to the future, but I want to focus on the first advancement, the bionic leg and arm, because I believe it is the first piece that will lead to a brighter future.