Low-Cost Morphing Robotic Hands Could Revolutionize Blue-Collar Bionics 21
malachiorion writes "Cornell, MIT and iRobot have all shown off so-called jamming manipulators: rubbery blobs that grip objects by deforming around them. But with the first commercially available version shipping to industrial and manufacturing customers, Cornell spinoff Empire Robotics has a new market in mind: Prosthetics. While impossibly expensive, neuro-controlled bionic hands continue to be a fantasy for most amputees, jamming manipulators could do the job. This article is about the merits of a low-tech, self-gripping stump, that could be powered by hooking up to an air compressor."
This seems like a decent solution while we close in on a method to regrow lost limbs.
Re: (Score:1)
well, you could use the self-gripping stump to grip the doctors throat until he shoots some morphine into you...
Re: (Score:2)
two words. "dalek plunger" (Score:1)
i cant be the only one to have this thought come to mind. Really, I can't be.
I remember the discovery just a few years back (Score:2)
Basically put sand in a tough balloon, push it onto something so it deforms around it, and suck out the air -- boom, a near-rocklike custom-shape gripper.
Re: (Score:2)
Basically put sand in a tough balloon, push it onto something so it deforms around it, and suck out the air -- boom, a near-rocklike custom-shape gripper.
Pretty much. There's a couple of links in TFA, but this video I found was pretty illustrative: Versaball [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Even combat has a silver lining. (Score:2)
The secondary link in TFS highlights Michael Levin's work with tissue regeneration: interesting shit.
Re: (Score:1)
Next thing you'll say is that it's good to send people to war because it generates many limbless research subjects.
The reason why military is producing results is because it's being funded. But research is still just its byproduct.
A dedicated civilian team working to solve these problems can only yield better results.
On a semi-related note: Prosthetics are too expensive.
Re: (Score:2)
The United States is on the forefront of prosthetics innovation, yet another of the seemingly endless societal benefits of keeping a working military.
^^^^ keeping a steady stream of people with no limbs
YAY for war
The Powerpuff Girls (Score:2)
Blue-collar bionics... (Score:2)
The Six Dollar Man?
good (Score:2)
There is a desperate need for lower cost, more versatile prosthetics.
PopSci Dickheads. (Score:2)
proxy block (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)