Many of you are probably too young to remember the old 70's TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man, but for those who did watch the show, you probably have fond memories. It looks like we are moving rapidly closer to a world in which The Bionic Man could be very real. We have a double Off Topic story for you today smashed into one.
We found a story about a man who has been blind for 40 years suddenly being given sight with a bionic eye, and we also found another story about an amputee named James who was given a gamer-inspired, high-tech prosthetic arm. Let's talk about that arm first. You definitely need to check out the pictures of the arm in the thread below, because the aesthetics are a world better than the typical stuff we have seen in the past.
But a fancy comic-book inspired design isn't all this arm is about. It also has several very useful and high tech features beyond the obvious. First of all, this bionic arm is actually partially connected to the nerves and muscles in his shoulder, and its sensors are designed to translate muscle movements through the skin of his shoulder to interpret his "commands" to grasp things.
What's especially impressive is that the hand's fine motor movement is a big advancement over the typical prosthetic. The arm is battery powered, and the hand can actually pick up tiny objects, like coins, with dexterity. That's not all though. The arm also includes a flashlight, a laser light and a USB port in the wrist that James can charge his phone with. The really unique feature is that James' arm also includes its own watch and has a remote controlled drone fitted on a panel on the outside of the shoulder!
Supposedly, the design was inspired by a character from the console game Metal Gear Solid. In fact, James was able to become the guinea pig for this device by answering an add from gaming company Konami. The arm and hand was actually designed by a firm called Open Bionics, but apparently the experiment was bankrolled by Konami. Just awesome! (Here's a link for more info: The man with the most amazing arm in Britain)
The second cybernetic story to share today may not be as fancy and sci-fi focused, but it's actually a bit more scientifically miraculous. John Jameson in Tatum, Texas can see now, even though he has been blind for over 40 years! This is all thanks to a brand new bionic eye implant that is at the cutting edge in biotech. So far, the only complaint Jameson has is that he sometimes experiences double-vision as his brain adjusts to the new implant. Despite that, he exclaims that he feels like a kid on Christmas morning every single day! (BGR)
What a unique time it is to be alive. The wonders of modern science are moving so quickly, it's starting to seem like magic!
