Bionic Nurses 63
Midnight Thunder writes "The Japanese have come up with a bionic suit designed to allow nurses to lift patients with out damaging their backs. This is just the sort of thing I need for lifting the monitors at work." And then there was mecha. Pretty cool idea - and maybe it could have helped Scoop.
Did Hawking design this? (Score:1)
Re:Sci-fi movies (Score:2)
Women stronger than their boyfriends (Score:2)
Re:Being picked up by nurses? (Score:4)
To sleep with nurse, one must be patient.
(Or was that confucious?)
Gimme (Score:1)
Starship Troopers (Score:2)
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Re:Darpa != Inovation (Score:2)
Yeah, but the flip side is... (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
BioniXXX nurses part 69! Cumming soon! (Score:1)
Re:BioniXXX nurses part 69! Cumming soon! (Score:2)
So? Marilyn Chambers and Ginger Lynn are coming back, so can Vanessa. I mean, really, if Vanessa Del Rio offered to give you a blowjob, would you turn her down?
Re:The catch is.... (Score:2)
Pneumatic muscles (Score:2)
There's a cute usage of them here [vertigo-inc.com], for parachute drop cushioning.
Definitely a need for this (Score:1)
It's obvious, the Japanese are working toward... (Score:1)
Saw a video of it on euronews (Score:2)
The person using the thing did successfully lift someone out of a wheelchair and onto an examination table though.
I just have to say this... (Score:1)
Imagine bionic nurses giving you a spongebath!!!
(and no - I'm not going to mention a beow*lf cluster of those bionic nurses...)
Bionic Nurses? (Score:1)
Re:Bionic Nurses? (Score:1)
Re:Darpa != Inovation (Score:1)
Darpa != Inovation (Score:3)
Re:How many other places in the world... (Score:1)
Christchurch Polytechnic's "S-N" block had both in opposite wings of the same building. A few of guys I knew doing computing there were in a semi-perpetual state of "Hellooo Nurses!".
Such a pity so few of them actually had the social skills to talk to members of the opposite sex, let alone ask them out...
Being picked up by nurses? (Score:3)
perhaps a change is needed (Score:1)
1) having jobs where they show off their 'manliness"
2) work with cute nurses who need their help.
3) clean work environment
4) getting paid
The catch is.... (Score:3)
it trails an unwieldy thicket of cables and compressed-air lines
When I read the headline I though it was pretty sweet. I have spent the last 6 summers working at an ice plant and would have enjoyed the assistance of a suit (like in one of the Alien movies, don't recall which one). While I was in production at the ice plant, I would move 40 tons of ice a day, bag by bag. Then as a delivery driver, I delivered 6-10 tons of ice a day. So you can imagine my interest in a "power assist" suit! Guess I have to wait a while longer.
As a side note, I found this to be a wonderful addition to my geeky pursuits. Some people use sports or recreational activities to balance time in front of the screen, but I found that (should you hold a 9-5 type job), a simple and physical job keeps me in shape and is a nice change of pace. Whatever pays the old school bills.
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Was Sigourney Weaver involved in testing? (Score:1)
...once again... (Score:1)
I would simply remind everyone to take this announcement with a LARGE grain of salt until you actually see it.
We'll be able to fend off Aliens!! (Score:2)
Now that we'll have all these bionic suits around, a whole division of Sigourny Weavers [imdb.com] will be able to fend off the Aliens [amazon.com] when they come to earth.
roll over, sonny (Score:2)
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Re:Didn't anyone read the article? (Score:1)
You have a good point about the comfort level and the reassuring presence of a nurse. I'm not sure how intrusive these devices will be, but I'm sure they'll do their utmost to avoid making nurses look like cyborgs.
Steven
Didn't anyone read the article? (Score:2)
It's essentially a forklift designed in three wedge shapes, stacked in different directions alternately, which get progressively wider thereby forcing the frame upwards and supporting the arms of the nurse doing the lifting. The cool thing, from a tech standpoint, is the logic that determines how much pressure to put into the lifting supports is keyed off of the pressure the nurse exerts attempting to lift the patient. They also seem to have a method of slow and steady increases in the size of the wedges to provide a gentle lift. The whole thing is primarially pneumatic.
Bottom line? This won't replace gurneys, but it will make simple tasks like lifting patients to clean up messes or just routine changing of sheets. That is where most of the injuries to nurses come, in the routine things. During states of emergencies, they have more than enough hands to move a patient from a gurney to a table or vice-versa. But during the routine times a nurse often has to handle a patient by themselves with one helper to swap the sheet as the other nurse holds the patient. This will make those two-nurse teams much more effective and less hazardous to the health of our nurses. Also keep in mind that most hospital beds are mobile, so a nurse lifting a patient off a bed and holding him while another nurse wheels the gurney out of the way and the bed into position under the patient the first nurse is holding isn't out of the question.
Personally I'm much more interested in how they made the frame flexible enough to allow movement, specifically moving the hands under a prone patient with enough flexibility to be gentle, and yet rigid enough to lift patients who weigh more than the nurse. I'll keep my eye out for more references to this technology.
Steven
I'm sorry but.... (Score:1)
- Ando
You are the weakest link, goodbye.
Supporting the back isn't everything (Score:3)
1) The actual lifting method, which is the main cause of back problems;
2) The carrying method.
If anyone's carried a heavy object and walked around with it, you'd understand what I mean.
Don't get me wrong. I think this suit will find uses, but mainly in the moving industry.
Marvellous (Score:1)
The FreakAZoid Worm... (Score:1)
Need someone for a BW assist. (Score:3)
I think all the EMTs and Paramedics out in the field could benefit a lot more from this than nurses can. After all, nurses can summon the entire ER if it's necessary to safely move a patient. I can't say I've really known any EMTs who have made it long enough to retire just based on their backs.
Re:Sci-fi movies (Score:1)
How is a bionic suit going to keep nurses from hurting patients? ;)
Bargaining chip (Score:1)
Re:Sci-fi movies (Score:1)
________________________________________
6 million dollar nurse (Score:1)
Remember the DARPA project? (Score:1)
Re:They are alot farther then us (Score:5)
First, congratulations on being at MIT, although in the interest of appealing to a broader audience, I'll assume that when you write "further than us" what you mean is "than the U.S.," (even though this response actually deals with MIT).
From what I have seen, Japanese companies have (generally) focused on industrial scale robots with somewhat traditional methods of movement. They have been much work on large biped and quadriped robots, often with servos or linear hydraulic actuators as their primary methods of motion. The goal of many of these robots, it seems, is to allow humans to apply machine force and precision in industrial settings.
Academic research (both in the US and abroad), on the other hand, is focused (for the most part) more on advanced control control issues for for robots and innovative methods of actuation.
The MIT Leg Lab [mit.edu] is one of the best known robotics lab in the U.S., and their work with active feedback, one legged locomotion, and gymnastic robots is still some of the most advanced robotic control system work being done. There is other work being done at MIT exploring polymers that shorten when electrical current is applied to them. Bundles of them [amazon.com] could be used to build robotic "muscles" for more animal-like movement, or, in a far-off scenario, bionic replacements for damaged body parts.
There are several reasons it seems like Japanese companies are "ahead." Academic work involves a lot of simulation. Some of the best designed robots only exist in virtual worlds, simply because it's too expensive for academic institutions to construct them, purely for proof-of-concept research. Also, it's unclear that there's a difinitive "goal" for robotics. Industrial robotic design is aimed at factory/workplace automation. The Leg Lab is concerned with understanding legged locomotion in all its forms (both natural and invented). Sony is concerned with making a dog that can push around a little plastic ball. In short, it's tough to say someones "ahead," because everyone's going in different directions.
As an aside, it's dangerous to think of advanced research as an "us vs. them" race. This isn't cold war military work. Many research facilities, MIT included, operate off sponsored research funds from many international sources. Many of the students at U.S. institutions are not from the U.S.. Most importantly, the results of almost all academic research is openly shared. There isn't a nationalistic aspect to this research.
Yes, it seems like the Japanese produce more in the area of industrial, applied robotics than does the U.S., but that's only one aspect to "the robotics area."
Re:Supporting the back isn't everything (Score:1)
So why don't they design it to support itself? Have the person stand on platforms attached to the leg braces so that the suit is on the ground, not the wearer? Who cares how heavy it is if the person using it doesn't have to carry it? Do I have to think of everything? Can I post a sentence that isn't a question?
Re:Gimme (Score:1)
cruncraaaaack
"Stop! STOP! You forgot to take off his restraining harness! Oh my god! Oh god OH GOD AHHHHHHH"
Re:Supporting the back isn't everything (Score:1)
My wife could use one of these (Score:1)
I'm sure she'd dearly love to have one of these suits!
Other uses (Score:1)
I bet if you sat down to think about it, there are a *LOT* of really off the wall, and downright great uses.
Re:Nurse Shortage (Score:1)
I don't see the resemblence between the (usually) girl who wants to become a nurse, and the (usually) boy who thinks: "Where can I find the coolest toys? OK Thats where I will work."
Isn't that view mainly for engineers...?
Of course engineer nurses would help on the nurse-shortage,but I know what will happen:
http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=200107
K. Hougaard
Old news, thanks guys... (Score:2)
I submitted this article last week, but it was rejected. Now it's news?
2001-07-26 15:12:32 Exoskeleton available in two years for $1700 (articles,news) (rejected)
Here's the link I provided last week:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010726/od/suit_d c_1.html
But will it be fun? (Score:4)
"No....not THAT hard....NO.....ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!"- ---------------------------------
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Get their asses in shape! (Score:1)
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Salon posted an article about nurses being attackd (Score:1)
Re:Sci-fi movies (Score:1)
Yeah, right...
"Spock! Beam us up! We are trapped in the tunnel, dying from the Xenite Gas down here"
"Captain? *Phzzzt* I'm losing you? *chchchchch* Bee must what? Captain? Hello? Hello?"
"Spock, can you hear me? I said 'BEAM US UP!'"
"Captain, call me back when you are out of the tunnel..."
Re:Darpa != Inovation (Score:1)
You are, of course, assuming that the US military is being upfront and open about their developments in this field. Consider for a moment the SR-71, it was built in the 70's and it was until the 80's that it really became public knowledge, the F-117/A, was very similar, though the years were different. For the longest time the public knew about some "stealth" plane called the F-19 (I even owned the computer game) but the concept art was WAY off. And both of these projects has the serious security problem of having to be tested outside. A powered suit could be developed, tested, and produced entirely underground. If the US military has something up and running, they aren't going to create a website to tell us about it.
They are alot farther then us (Score:1)
Nurse Wars (Score:1)
Re:Darpa != Inovation (Score:1)
I wouldn't go that far to make a comparison. Sure, there's a number of people who have initially heard of "nanobots" from StarTrek, but nanotech really doesn't have enough mindshare to call it part of pop culture yet. It's just one of those "oh, yeah, how 'bout that" things. I mean... they haven't even made a movie about "it" and "its" huge implications yet. :-)
(or maybe you're talking geek pop culture, and not drooling masses pop culture?)
Re:Nurse Shortage (Score:1)
Nurse Shortage (Score:5)
Very cool stuff though which could be useful in a number of professions. Hopefully, when these suits get cheap enough, we'll seem them protect much of the manual labor in industrial contries. Next task, how to help the worldwide working poor.
Re:Didn't anyone read the article? (Score:1)
More importantly, these devices are going to cause problems in critical care situations (think delivering babies, emergency room, patients in cardiac arrest, etc.) a strength boost at that time may be more harmful then helpful. Conversely, if the nurse isn't wearing the thing continuously they may be stuck getting in or out when they are needed doing other things. Remember the nursing shortage causes existing nurses do more with less support, and unlike in software development, mistakes can cause death or permanent disability instead of a logged bug.
A powered suit doesn't look too helpful in those situations. Better to spend the money on getting more nurses or paying the ones that are already working better.
K.
Sci-fi movies (Score:1)
Re:Clumsy Nurses (Score:1)
Hmmm... (Score:1)