In this episode, we explore an innovative prosthesis driven by the nervous system that helps people with amputations walk naturally and discover how this cutting-edge technology is transforming mobility and enhancing the quality of life for amputees by restoring a natural gait.

Podcast: Bionics Help Amputees Take Big Strides Forward

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/ceb16e69-0075-4e23-97b8-f679ee5b172e?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-24="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>State-of-the-art prosthetic limbs can help people with amputations achieve a natural walking gait, but they don’t give the user full neural control over the limb. Instead, they rely on robotic sensors and controllers that move the limb using predefined gait algorithms.Using a new type of surgical intervention and neuroprosthetic interface, MIT researchers, in collaboration with colleagues from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, have shown that a natural walking gait is achievable using a prosthetic leg fully driven by the body’s own nervous system. The surgical amputation procedure reconnects muscles in the residual limb, which allows patients to receive “proprioceptive” feedback about where their prosthetic limb is in space.In a study of seven patients who had this surgery, the MIT team found that they were able to walk faster, avoid obstacles, and climb stairs much more naturally than people with a traditional amputation.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fKdnu50Nx-8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-24="true" id="651131305" title="Helping people with amputation walk naturally">&nbsp;</iframe>“This is the first prosthetic study in history that shows a leg prosthesis under full neural modulation, where a biomimetic gait emerges.&nbsp;No one has been able to show this level of brain control that produces a natural gait, where the human’s nervous system is controlling the movement, not a robotic control algorithm,” says Hugh Herr,&nbsp;a professor of media arts and sciences, co-director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics at MIT, an associate member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research, and the senior author of the new study.Patients also experienced less pain and less muscle atrophy following this surgery, which is known as the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface (AMI). So far, about 60 patients around the world have received this type of surgery, which can also be done for people with arm amputations.Hyungeun Song, a postdoc in MIT’s Media Lab, is the lead author of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02994-9" target="_blank">paper</a>, which appears today in Nature Medicine.<h2>Sensory feedback</h2>Most limb movement is controlled by pairs of muscles that take turns stretching and contracting. During a traditional below-the-knee amputation, the interactions of these paired muscles are disrupted. This makes it very difficult for the nervous system to sense the position of a muscle and how fast it’s contracting — sensory information that is critical for the brain to decide how to move the limb.People with this kind of amputation may have trouble controlling their prosthetic limb because they can’t accurately sense where the limb is in space. Instead, they rely on robotic controllers built into the prosthetic limb. These limbs also include sensors that can detect and adjust to slopes and obstacles.To try to help people achieve a natural gait under full nervous system control, Herr and his colleagues began developing the AMI surgery several years ago. Instead of severing natural agonist-antagonist muscle interactions, they connect the two ends of the muscles so that they still dynamically communicate with each other within the residual limb. This surgery can be done during a primary amputation, or the muscles can be reconnected after the initial amputation as part of a revision procedure.“With the AMI amputation procedure, to the greatest extent possible, we attempt to connect native agonists to native antagonists in a physiological way so that after amputation, a person can move their full phantom limb with physiologic levels of proprioception and range of movement,” Herr says.In a 2021 <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2021/surgery-control-prosthetic-limbs-0215" target="_blank">study</a>, Herr’s lab found that patients who had this surgery were able to more precisely control the muscles of their amputated limb, and that those muscles produced electrical signals similar to those from their intact limb.After those encouraging results, the researchers set out to explore whether those electrical signals could generate commands for a prosthetic limb and at the same time give the user feedback about the limb’s position in space. The person wearing the prosthetic limb could then use that proprioceptive feedback to volitionally adjust their gait as needed.In the new Nature Medicine study, the MIT team found this sensory feedback did indeed translate into a smooth, near-natural ability to walk and navigate obstacles.“Because of the AMI neuroprosthetic interface, we were able to boost that neural signaling, preserving as much as we could. This was able to restore a person's neural capability to continuously and directly control the full gait, across different walking speeds, stairs, slopes, even going over obstacles,” Song says.<h2>A natural gait</h2>For this study, the researchers compared seven people who had the AMI surgery with seven who had traditional below-the-knee amputations. All of the subjects used the same type of bionic limb: a prosthesis with a powered ankle as well as electrodes that can sense electromyography (EMG) signals from the tibialis anterior the gastrocnemius muscles. These signals are fed into a robotic controller that helps the prosthesis calculate how much to bend the ankle, how much torque to apply, or how much power to deliver.The researchers tested the subjects in several different situations: level-ground walking across a 10-meter pathway, walking up a slope, walking down a ramp, walking up and down stairs, and walking on a level surface while avoiding obstacles.In all of these tasks, the people with the AMI neuroprosthetic interface were able to walk faster — at about the same rate as people without amputations — and navigate around obstacles more easily. They also showed more natural movements, such as pointing the toes of the prosthesis upward while going up stairs or stepping over an obstacle, and they were better able to coordinate the movements of their prosthetic limb and their intact limb. They were also able to push off the ground with the same amount of force as someone without an amputation.“With the AMI cohort, we saw natural biomimetic behaviors emerge,” Herr says.&nbsp;“The cohort that didn’t have the AMI, they were able to walk, but the prosthetic movements weren’t natural, and their movements were generally slower.”These natural behaviors emerged even though the amount of sensory feedback provided by the AMI was less than 20 percent of what would normally be received in people without an amputation.“One of the main findings here is that a small increase in neural feedback from your amputated limb can restore significant bionic neural controllability, to a point where you allow people to directly neurally control the speed of walking, adapt to different terrain, and avoid obstacles,” Song says.“This work represents yet another step in us demonstrating what is possible in terms of restoring function in patients who suffer from severe limb injury. It is through collaborative efforts such as this that we are able to make transformational progress in patient care,” says Matthew Carty, a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, who is also an author of the paper.Enabling neural control by the person using the limb is a step toward Herr’s lab’s goal of “rebuilding human bodies,” rather than having people rely on ever more sophisticated robotic controllers and sensors — tools that are powerful but do not feel like part of the user’s body.“The problem with that long-term approach is that the user would never feel embodied with their prosthesis. They would never view the prosthesis as part of their body, part of self,” Herr says. “The approach we’re taking is trying to comprehensively connect the brain of the human to the electromechanics.”The research was funded by the MIT K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIwNDIzMTQxODg1LV9NR185NjE2LTMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Credit: Jimmy Day, MIT Media Lab

“This is the first prosthetic study in history that shows a leg prosthesis under full neural modulation,” Hugh Herr says. Image: Courtesy of Hugh Herr and Hyungeun Song

A new surgical procedure gives people more neural feedback from their residual limb. With it, seven patients walked more naturally and navigated obstacles.

A prosthesis driven by the nervous system helps people with amputation walk naturally

In this episode, we discuss how CalTech researchers have created bionic jellyfish to help us explore the oceans and better understand the impacts of climate change.

Podcast: Jellyfish Cyborgs Help Explore The Oceans & Solve Climate Change

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/18c9c9fd-d774-46bc-87b8-fb1b0e7a5ae4?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>Jellyfish can't do much besides swim, sting, eat, and breed. They don't even have brains. Yet, these simple creatures can easily journey to the depths of the oceans in a way that humans, despite all our sophistication, cannot.But what if humans could have jellyfish explore the oceans on our behalf, reporting back what they find? New research conducted at Caltech aims to make that a reality through the creation of what researchers call biohybrid robotic jellyfish. These creatures, which can be thought of as ocean-going cyborgs, augment jellyfish with electronics that enhance their swimming and a prosthetic "hat" that can carry a small payload while also making the jellyfish swim in a more streamlined manner.The work, published in the journal Bioinspiration &amp; Biomimetics, was conducted in the lab of John Dabiri (MS '03, PhD '05), the Centennial Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, and builds on his previous work augmenting jellyfish. Dabiri's goal with this research is to use jellyfish as robotic data-gatherers, sending them into the oceans to collect information about temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels, all of which are affected by Earth's changing climate."It's well known that the ocean is critical for determining our present and future climate on land, and yet, we still know surprisingly little about the ocean, especially away from the surface," Dabiri says. "Our goal is to finally move that needle by taking an unconventional approach inspired by one of the few animals that already successfully explores the entire ocean."<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_ZfthP_7s5g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-9="true" id="779481107" title="Robotic Jellyfish Explorers">&nbsp;</iframe>Media assets: Robotic Jellyfish ExplorersThroughout his career, Dabiri has looked to the natural world, jellyfish included, for inspiration in solving engineering challenges. This work began with early attempts by Dabiri's lab to develop a mechanical robot that swam like jellyfish, which have the most efficient method for traveling through water of any living creature. Though his research team succeeded in creating such a robot, that robot was never able to swim as efficiently as a real jellyfish. At that point, Dabiri asked himself, why not just work with jellyfish themselves?"Jellyfish are the original ocean explorers, reaching its deepest corners and thriving just as well in tropical or polar waters," Dabiri says. "Since they don't have a brain or the ability to sense pain, we've been able to collaborate with bioethicists to develop this biohybrid robotic application in a way that's ethically principled."Previously, Dabiri's lab implanted jellyfish with a kind of electronic pacemaker that controls the speed at which they swim. In doing so, they found that if they made jellyfish swim faster than the leisurely pace they normally keep, the animals became even more efficient. A jellyfish swimming three times faster than it normally would uses only twice as much energy.This time, the research team went a step further, adding what they call a forebody to the jellies. These forebodies are like hats that sit atop the jellyfish's bell (the mushroom-shaped part of the animal). The devices were designed by graduate student and lead author Simon Anuszczyk (MS '22), who aimed to make the jellyfish more streamlined while also providing a place where sensors and other electronics can be carried."Much like the pointed end of an arrow, we designed 3D-printed forebodies to streamline the bell of the jellyfish robot, reduce drag, and increase swimming performance," Anuszczyk says. "At the same time, we experimented with 3D printing until we were able to carefully balance the buoyancy and keep the jellyfish swimming vertically."To test the augmented jellies' swimming abilities, Dabiri's lab undertook the construction of a massive vertical aquarium inside Caltech's Guggenheim Laboratory. Dabiri explains that the three-story tank is tall, rather than wide, because researchers want to gather data on oceanic conditions far below the surface."In the ocean, the round trip from the surface down to several thousand meters will take a few days for the jellyfish, so we wanted to develop a facility to study that process in the lab," Dabiri says. "Our vertical tank lets the animals swim against a flowing vertical current, like a treadmill for swimmers. We expect the unique scale of the facility—probably the first vertical water treadmill of its kind—to be useful for a variety of other basic and applied research questions."<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzA5NTIxNzc5NzI4LURhYmlyaS1MYWItTG9uZy1EaXN0YW5jZS1Td2ltbWluZ19Gb3JlYm9keTMubWF4LTE0MDB4ODAwLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A biohybrid jellyfish descends through the three-story tank in which swimming tests were conducted. Credit: CaltechSwim tests conducted in the tank show that a jellyfish equipped with a combination of the swimming pacemaker and forebody can swim up to 4.5 times faster than an all-natural jelly while carrying a payload. The total cost is about $20 per jellyfish, Dabiri says, which makes biohybrid jellies an attractive alternative to renting a research vessel that can cost more than $50,000 a day to run."By using the jellyfish's natural capacity to withstand extreme pressures in the deep ocean and their ability to power themselves by feeding, our engineering challenge is a lot more manageable," Dabiri adds. "We still need to design the sensor package to withstand the same crushing pressures, but that device is smaller than a softball, making it much easier to design than a full submarine vehicle operating at those depths."I'm really excited to see what we can learn by simply observing these parts of the ocean for the very first time," he adds.Dabiri says future work may focus on further enhancing the bionic jellies' abilities. Right now, they can only be made to swim faster in a straight line, such as the vertical paths being designed for deep ocean measurement. But further research may also make them steerable, so they can be directed horizontally as well as vertically.The paper describing the work, "<a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-3190/ad277f" target="_blank">Electromechanical enhancement of live jellyfish for ocean exploration</a>," appears in the February 28 issue of Bioinspiration &amp; Biomimetics. Co-authors are Anuszczyk and Dabiri.

Jellyfish can't do much besides swim, sting, eat, and breed. They don't even have brains. Yet, these simple creatures can easily journey to the depths of the oceans in a way that humans, despite all our sophistication, cannot.

Building Bionic Jellyfish for Ocean Exploration

In this episode, we discuss the accidental discovery of how amputees can sense temperature in their phantom limbs and how EPFL researchers have exploited this to develop the first generation of prosthetics that can feel.

Podcast: Amputees Feel Warmth In Their Missing Hand

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Tried and tested (and free)</h2>Biomimetics is the method by which scientists borrow successful ideas from nature to use in their own inventions. The advantage of this approach is that the solutions found among animals and plants are not subject to any patent. And over countless millennia, there are certain structures and mechanisms in nature that have allowed all sorts of living things to survive in various conditions. Thus, developers can rely on nature&rsquo;s best ideas, modify them as needed, and create robots that resemble beings we&rsquo;re already familiar with.<blockquote>&ldquo;For instance, there&rsquo;s a German company named Festo that specializes in various biomimetic solutions. They have a kangaroo robot that, just like the real thing, conserves energy after a jump and uses it for the next one. There are other notable inventions: the well-known Spot robot-dogs, worm-like medical robots, or even drug delivery bots modeled after fish. Some specialists develop mechanisms based on plant life &ndash; plantoids. But that&rsquo;s still a work in progress and it&rsquo;ll be some time before you can buy one in a store,&rdquo; explains Pavel Kovalenko, an associate professor at the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics.</blockquote><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">More ground to cover</h2>Nevertheless, the biomimetic method suffers from several limitations. Firstly, scientists have not been successful in recreating the principles or developing materials that would allow them to fully replicate certain species. Take geckos: these lizards&rsquo; paws are covered with microscopic adhesive hairs that can stick to any smooth vertical surface and traverse it. But researchers are yet to create a similar technology that would be suitable for industrial production.<blockquote>&ldquo;When we try to create the same product using nanolithography, the hairs come out different: not splayed like they should be, but rather conical or simply crudely shaped. Because of this, the adhesion is not adequate. In addition, artificial materials cannot self-clean and, therefore, lose their stickiness. It&rsquo;s like a piece of duct tape that you apply and tear off again and again,&rdquo; says Pavel Kovalenko.</blockquote>The second limitation of biomimetics is the scalability of natural mechanisms: as a rule, the ideas used at nanoscale are not always reproducible in macroscale. This forces researchers to look for other solutions to applied problems. For instance, instead of a robotic gecko, they will also create a snail that can climb vertical surfaces.Last but not least, for robots to function as animals, researchers have to truly synchronize their control system, its components, and parts of the robot. According to Pavel Kovalenko, this can be achieved when both the software and the engineering aspects of the robot are developed by a single team with a clear view of their final outcome.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">A robotic zoo at ITMO</h2>Despite all these challenges, students and graduates of ITMO&rsquo;s Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics are actively engaged in biomimetics, having already completed several stages of their research. First, they analyzed the behavior, body structure and functions of living organisms, and then based on this step decided which body parts they should recreate in their work. They have also selected flexible materials resembling existing animals. At the next stage, the researchers performed calculations, chose the digital components and motors for the robot, and developed the necessary software. As a result, they have already created several model robotic animals.For instance, ITMO graduate Georgy Larionenko developed a waterproof robotic fish with a moving tail that works on two magnets. A servomotor inside the waterproof body activates the first magnet, which in its turn activates the second one that is connected to the fluke. This way, by moving its tail in the water, the robotic fish can swim &ndash; both in fresh and salty water, as experiments have shown. The robot can be useful for gauging the parameters of the water and the ocean floor in various conditions, including in the arctic region.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fYqbsCFRuS0?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" style="width: 768px; height: 429px;"></iframe>A team of three graduates, Oksana Shuraeva, Anastasia Yusupova, and Anton Kovalenko, has developed a robotic snail. It can crawl down inclined surfaces by intermittently extending and retracting its &ldquo;paws,&rdquo; two spirals with plates attached to them. In order to guide the robot in the necessary direction, a servomotor, located in its shell, positions the snail&rsquo;s head at the needed angle, so that the rest of its body can follow suit. One application of this invention is window cleaning &ndash; the snail will leave a trail of detergent behind.Elizaveta Shelukhina, another ITMO graduate, wanted to make a device that will be protected from its environment. She could take inspiration from several animals, including turtles, hedgehogs, and armadillos, but eventually decided to settle on the latter, creating the concept for robotic armadillo. When the robot senses that something is falling on it or if someone kicks it, it rolls into a ball to protect its silicon insides. When the external influence ends, the robot unrolls back into its full length. Such robotic armadillos can come in handy in rescue missions, when there is a high risk of buildings collapsing.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655602540-1282503.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Robotic snail. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655652013-1282504.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The snail&rsquo;s locomotion mechanism includes two spirals with plates attached to them. The spirals are activated by two D41AB12 DC motors and when climbing an inclined surface the snail&rsquo;s front part is controlled by an FS5106B servomotor. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655682130-1282501.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The concept of a protected armadillo robot developed by Elizaveta Shelukhina. When hit by something, the robot rolls into a ball to protect its insides. Photo by Dmitry Grigoryev, ITMO.NEWS&nbsp; &nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1665655703530-1282502.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The robotic fish presented at the Robotex youth robotics contect. Image courtesy of the Faculty of Control Systems and Robotics&nbsp; &nbsp;These days, students at the faculty are also developing various robotic animals. For example, Maged Mohamed, a second-year student in the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Master&rsquo;s program, researches biomimetics to come up with his own prototype of a waterproof fish that will also resist the pressure deep underwater to collect samples of the bottom and water for analysis.&nbsp;<hr>Translated by&nbsp;<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/30/&source=gmail&ust=1665742142569000&usg=AOvVaw3TxK7CnbdCJBWzW22ae5a2" href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/30/" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vadim Galimov</a> and <a href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/profile/51/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Catherine Zavodova</a>, and originally published by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://news.itmo.ru/en/&source=gmail&ust=1665742142569000&usg=AOvVaw2LChR-pA6lYpYiNzCB_TIH" href="https://news.itmo.ru/en/" target="_blank">ITMO.NEWS</a>

Boston Dynamics’ Spot, bionic kangaroos and even ants – biomimetics allows us to replicate almost any living thing. But why do roboticists look to animals for inspiration, what do they do at ITMO, and how do you make a robot act “natural”?

Biomimetics: The Science of Robo-Animals

People living with disabilities don't want special treatment; they want equal opportunity. The ability to act independently of, and at the same time connect with, others when moving, communicating, learning, working, and socializing.Technology is making this increasingly viable, as assistive and adaptive technologies create a more accessible world for people living with a range of disabilities, including limb differences, motor neuron disease, as well as the blind and deaf.Much of this development has focused on smartphones and computers, but wireless IoT technology also plays its role.<h2>The world around us</h2>Connected technologies such as environmental sensors, smart objects, and wearables are powerful tools. They can provide various inclusive and assistive information services in near real-time and connect people with disabilities with their work, home, and other environments:<ul><li>Indoor and outdoor wayfinding solutions employing computer vision, augmented reality, and wireless optical communications are assisting the visually impaired navigate their way from home to work and back again</li><li>Clothing embedding haptic stimulation sensors can enable the deaf to 'feel the beat' of a musical performance</li><li>Robotic limbs and bionic exoskeletons are giving the wearer control of their environment and the ability to stand and walk</li></ul><h2>Wearables for tackling MND</h2>Nordic Semiconductor has been working closely with customers who develop wireless solutions for those living with a disability. One such company is Control Bionics, whose wearable assistive technology offers people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—also known as motor neuron disease (MND)—the ability to communicate despite paralysis or loss of speech. The small, non-invasive sensor is placed on the skin over the muscle chosen to be the switch. When the user attempts to move that muscle, the device interprets the signals sent from the brain to the muscle and uses those signals to control a paired computer, tablet, or smartphone wirelessly.<h2>Bluetooth LE bionic arms</h2>Another example is U.S. non-profit organization, Limbitless Solutions, which creates personalized bionic arms for children suffering from limb differences. The prosthetic limbs employ electromyographic (EMG) sensors to pick up signals generated by muscle movements in the wearer's upper arm. The forearm section of the bionic arm contains a battery pack that powers the motors controlling the different movements, while the hand unit includes the core electronics and motors for the fine control of the individual fingers. Bluetooth LE connectivity enables set-up, adjustment, and monitoring of the arm from a smartphone app, for example, to precisely determine the degree of muscle flexing required to generate a certain force in the fingers, and to help the child learn how to manipulate their new arm.<h2>Next-gen connectivity solutions</h2>Bluetooth LE wireless connectivity and next-generation SoCs play an essential role in ensuring the viability of these and other technologies for end-users living with disabilities. They provide a low latency wireless link to a smartphone or tablet for ease of control, and also low power consumption in an ultra-miniaturized form factor.Avoiding having to charge our devices frequently is a significant advantage to any user, and none of us want a clunky wearable that is uncomfortable to wear. Still, the benefits are more fundamental when that device is in near-constant use or is relied upon for daily life. For example, bionic arms must be comfortable, lightweight, and easy to use, particularly for children. Smartwatches for the blind, meanwhile, must be able to last at least a full day on a single charge.As these assistive technologies become more sophisticated and ambitious in their scope, wireless SoCs will need to keep pace. Nordic's new nRF53 Series has been designed to meet the likely requirements of developers in the future. It offers a new flexible, dual-processor hardware architecture, low power, and the ability to support miniaturized machine learning, edge processing, and LE Audio.<h2>The promise of LE Audio</h2>LE Audio, for instance, has the potential to significantly improve the experience of users of hearing aids and hearing implants by supporting a feature called Audio Sharing. Thanks to LE Audio, people with hearing loss will be able to realize the same benefits of Bluetooth audio enjoyed by users of standard Bluetooth headphones and earbuds, including wireless calling, listening, and watching. Audio Sharing will enable an advanced new type of Assistive Listening Systems with higher audio quality and greater privacy that avoids the challenges of sound quality, spill-over (magnetic interference created by multiple hearing loops in close proximity), and costs of current systems.Wireless technology exists now, and it can provide disabled users with the ability to participate in all aspects of life on more equal terms than previously possible.&nbsp;<hr>This article was first published on Nordic's&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" id="isPasted"></a><a href="https://blog.nordicsemi.com/getconnected?utm_campaign=2021%20wevolver" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Get Connected Blog</a>.

People living with disabilities don't want special treatment; they want equal opportunity. The ability to act independently of, and at the same time connect with, others when moving, communicating, learning, working, and socializing.

Connected IoT tech promotes accessibility for all

This article is a part of our <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program</a>. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe.This is a typical situation where the use of bio-location is used ineffectively. &nbsp;Dolphins are smart. They are clever enough to distinguish between useless tasks and really necessary ones. From the side of humans, it can be seen as unwillingness to perform learning tasks. Consider for example the Blue Game 2002 military training. The dolphins were airlifted to Denmark from San Diego in the US and housed in pairs in two large pools. During one of the training trips to the sea, the dolphin did not return to the support boat. The Navy decided to request help from a rescue helicopter to search for the dolphin from the air. After the helicopter took off from Slipshavn, a message came from the police that the dolphin was in Nyborg. As a result, a dolphin was quickly found frolicking in the inner harbor of the port [1,2]. This is approximately how freedom-loving animals react to the need for long-distance flights to search for dummies of mines.At the same time, when the dolphin himself decides to save a drowning person, then there are no problems. However, it is this skill of dolphins that is least often used. It&#39;s a matter of priorities. The technical possibilities of accommodation on rescue ships have existed for a long time. For instance, Dolphins are carried aboard Navy ships in large movable pools, about 20 feet in diameter &amp; traveled on the amphibious ship Gunston Hall in 2003 for the Iraq war [3].Below I will consider more complex examples of using another predator sensor apparatus for searching in the sea. Pattern recognition techniques can be complex, but they serve to make searching easier.<h2 id="isPasted">Signals processing from different sources to have a complete picture of the situation</h2>One of the important aspects is a separation of partial information useless for the primary user of the data, and useful for rescue services. &nbsp;The algorithms used by nature were tested for millions of years. There is a reason for people to use bionic principles to improve electronic surveillance technologies.<h2>The loss of signal</h2>The sunken ship disappears from radar screens and stops to transmit the signals. Data on the last radio contact give rapidly deteriorated information. In any case, it is used not only one point. The vectors are constructed as follows:&nbsp;<ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li>Between the point of the last contact and the point, at which the ship would be located, if it moved at the same speed and in the same direction;&nbsp;</li><li>Vector to the point, at which the ship would be located with the power-on engine, if it drifted (towards the current);</li><li>Vector pointed to the opposite side of incoming waves (if necessary, the captain heads the ship to minimize side impacts of waves).&nbsp;</li></ul>All three vectors should be inside the initial spot of the search. They can considerably increase it, depending on the deterioration rate of information.<h3>Usage of data on the movement of marked sea predators</h3>A shark sensory apparatus has a high degree of perfection due to evolutionary processes. They recognize an odour very well, especially blood smell. The possibility of using this methodology means no good. If sharks smelled blood and changed their moving direction towards the accident site, it means that any of the survivors has open wounds. That direction can be well defined. The intersection of sharks&rsquo; moving directions is an area of the probable location of the survivors. For the success of a rescue operation, the survivors must be discovered before the sharks will find them. It should be noted that the moving directions of the sharks near the prey are less informative because predators prefer to unexpectedly attack and move in a composite path prior to the attack.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI1NDkwMzM3ODUzLUZpZyAxLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Schematic single map with superimposition of data">Figure 1: Schematic single map with superimposition of data<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI1NDkwMzkyODQzLUZpZyAyLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Schematic representation methodology based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in selected range">Figure 2: Schematic representation methodology based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in selected range.</div></div><h3>All methods mentioned above produce a pretty poor result in themselves</h3>Only superimposition of the data, for instance, information from different sources, on a single map can yield a result Figure 1. The formed sum of points on a map is processed by conventional mathematical methods for error estimation in order to define the search area.The methods for processing the images on the retina of different living beings and their applicability to change the operation algorithms of conventional equipment used for the same purpose have fundamentally been reviewed in detail by many scientists: Nobel Prize winners David H. Hubel and Torsten N Wiesel, and some others like Kaganitsky Grigory, Mary Carlson, Kevin R. Duffy, Rafael Gonzalez [7-9]. The selection of electromagnetic wavelength range is determined by the properties of the object to be found. Radio waves are best suited for search of the metal structure remains of the ship and infrared region &ndash; for the search of the survivors.The methodology is based on codes that describe a separation by sequentially increasing resolution in a selected range. Each scanning pass gives a more and more sophisticated picture. The analysis of intermediate results can be carried out in each phase, starting from the first scanning pass. If the boundary condition (object availability) is fulfilled, the codes responsible for the selected area become active, and the rest of the codes are blocked. At every next step with increasing resolution, the image details become more specific. In fact, a part of the analysis is performed outside the control centre, which receives code groups already prepared for identification Figure 2. &nbsp;A processing speed is assured due to information processing in parallel. The initial capturing of the group of objects occurs without contour extraction. Then, the division of identifiable objects and the construction of bundles between them based on the shortest distances take place. If there is a sector less in area than the spot of objects and bundles between them, which surrounds it, this sector is also captured for further analysis. With higher resolution in the selected areas based on previously given parameters, the sequence of the most significant targets is determined. The codes are compared in a sequence of targets, and in the absence of coincidence, the transfer to the next target of the group occurs. The continuously complicated group of codes arranged as linked lists is a result of such analysis constantly carried out.After the necessary and sufficient conditions are met for the identification of the objects, a full scanning is performed with the maximum resolution for the initial area, while prompt decisions are made regarding the identified objects. This means that utilizing these principles does not abolish a usual sequential scanning of the areas with maximum resolution, but gives an opportunity to promptly receive a discrete flow of the data (that becomes more and more detailed after every iteration) for potential quick reaction and problem-solving.The analysis can be simultaneously carried out with the use of several receivers that have different resolutions or types of signal injection (discrete and continuous). For example, the initial capture of the image can be performed with the help of video (low resolution), however, the identification of selected important areas is better performed using photo devices (high resolution). The range of lengths selected for infrared waves for the scan purpose should provide a maximum informational content for temperatures of about 36.6&deg; Celsius. No less important an opportunity to identify the object with the mentioned temperature that is located near a hotter object, i.e. if there is still a hot engine in the non-flooded compartment, and the survivor uses this fragment as a raft.<h2>Conclusion</h2>The critical situations caused by the accidents require a considerable quantity of online data for adequate reaction. Anyway, most part of the necessary information is gathered but used rarely and untimely. In any case, the sea predators also search for the survivors just like rescuers, but for another purpose. The data on the movement of marked sharks are very seldom used to advantage.A more complete understanding of how an eye scrutinizes the image can be applied to optical equipment used by rescuers. This article examined the bionic principles of processing the information for utilizing in future search operations.<h2>References</h2>1. Fladen i Korsor, Nr. 2 Juni 2002 <a data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" href="http://www.marinehist.dk/FIKors/2002-2-FiKors.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.marinehist.dk/FIKors/2002-2-FiKors.pdf</a>2. S&oslash;v&aelig;rn&rsquo;s orientering, Nr. 2 Juni 2002 https://www.marinehist.dk/SVNORI/SVNORI-2002-02.pdf3. &quot;Navy dolphins, sea lions losing out to robots&quot; 2012 The San Diego Union-Tribune https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-navy-dolphins-sea-lions-losing-out-to-robots-2012nov30-story.html<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjRqZmD-PHyAhUDt4sKHfMKAm8QFnoECAMQAQ" href="https://ua.depositphotos.com/vector-images/s%C3%B8v%C3%A6rn.html?offset=100" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://ua.depositphotos.com/vector-images/s%25C3%25B8v%25C3%25A6rn.html%3Foffset%3D100&ved=2ahUKEwjRqZmD-PHyAhUDt4sKHfMKAm8QFnoECAMQAQ" target="_blank" id="isPasted"></a>4. David H. Hubel &amp; Wiesel, T N. (1979). Brain mechanisms of vision. Scientific American, 241, 150&mdash;162.5. David H. Hubel, David C. Freeman Brain Research V. 122, I. 2, 1977, PР 336&ndash;3436. David H. Hubel,Torsten N. Wiesel, Early Exploration of the Visual Cortex., Neuron V. 20, I. 3, 1998, PP. 401&ndash;4127. Rafael C. Gonzalez Richard E. Woods Digital Image Processing, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc. Boston, MA, USA , 19928. Kevin R. Duffy, David H. Hubel, Vision Research V. 47, I. 19, 2007, PP. 2569&ndash;25749. Mary Carlson at al., Developmental Brain Research, V. 25, I. 1, 1986, PP. 71&ndash;81<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">About the University Technology Exposure Program 2022</h2>Wevolver, in partnership with <a href="https://mouser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> and <a href="https://www.ansys.com/academic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ansys</a>, is excited to announce the launch of the University Technology Exposure Program 2022. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe. Learn more about the program <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">here</a>.<img alt="university-technology-exposure-program-mouser-ansys" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU3NDU2MDg2ODE2LTE2NTc0NTYwODY4MTYucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii">

US Navy's Mine-Hunting Dolphin Returning From Mission

Let's take the well-known sea-rescuer, the dolphin, for example.
Dolphin’s sensorium is more intended for the search of biological objects under water by use echolocation. At the same time, the military prefer to use dolphins to find metal objects (mines) rather than search & rescue drowning people

Fundamental Methodology Of Signals Processing During The Rescue Operations At Sea

This article was discussed in our <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte&source=gmail&ust=1640817319915000&usg=AOvVaw2nPRdRwJrXSYYeM9RCFu5x" href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/816a5019-8dcc-44f6-87cf-e4a0b1f91ce6?dark=false" class="fr-draggable"></iframe>The full article will continue below.<hr><h2>The Elevator Pitch</h2>Neuralink wants to solve brain and spine related illnesses via the seamless integration of a coin-sized device with your brain. In summer 2020, the company held a live product demo hosted by CEO Elon Musk to display what they have been working on.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CLUWDLKAF1M?&amp;t=581s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 438px;"></iframe><h2>The Device</h2>Neural interfacing technology capable of reading and stimulating neuron activity is not necessarily new, but Neuralink's device known as the Link boasts certain features that make it stand out, such as 1024 channels (reportedly 100x more than current competitors), wireless inductive charging, a small form factor (allowing seamless integration with the skull), and utilization of readily available, mass-produced parts making the device as affordable as a new smartphone.&nbsp;<h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyNDgyNDE2LXRoZS1saW5rLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="">Image 1. The Link Device (CNET) The Procedure</h2>A robot will remove a portion of your skull the same size as the device and thread the electrodes to a segment of your brain where small electric charges will stimulate the neurons. &nbsp;Safety and accessibility are some of the primary objectives with this implant.&nbsp;Here is how the team plans on hitting those marks:- Anesthesia is not required- The entire surgery can be done under an hour- Patients can be released from hospital the same day as the procedure- A robot can do the entire procedure to guarantee accuracy- It will automatically inspect and insert electrodes where there are no veins or arteries- It is completely reversible; if you decide you don't want it, take it out without any damages<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyNjM5NDcwLW5ldXJhbGluay1pbnN0YWxsYXRpb24uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image 2. Link procedure process (CNET) The Motivation</h2>A key driving force behind this project is providing an inexpensive, safe, convenient, and reversible neural interfacing solution that could potentially eliminate neural illnesses while offering those suffering from spinal injuries the chance to regain their mobility. Still, that's not the most ambitious part of this project.Musk has repeatedly expressed his concern about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it could mean for the future of humanity; therefore, he sees the Link as a viable life raft where the human mind could integrate with AI. In fact, the Neuralink team already demonstrated an elementary version of this long-term goal by having a monkey control a computer using their device to play video games.<h2>The Functionality</h2>Usually at this point everyone has the same big question: does it work? Well, the proof is in the pigs.The stars of the 2020 product demo were three little pigs that helped demonstrate the safety of the Link. The first pig had never had an implant, the second had an implant at some point but it had been removed, and the third was the one currently with an implant; the major takeaway was that you will not experience any noticeable negative changes to your behavior with or without the implant (even if you've removed it).Gertrude, the third pig, was proudly showing off her implant to the audience by having the neuron impulses connected to her snout visualized while being fed. Every time her snout touched food, the audience saw a spike.More impressively, the demo contained a video of a pig on a treadmill whose joint movements were being almost perfectly predicted using the information from the implant. This could theoretically help those with spinal injuries by relaying the movement information that they are thinking to a secondary implant located at the base of the spinal cord thereby enabling movement.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE2ODEyODIwMzg5LVBpZyB3YWxrLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Image 3. Predicted vs. actual joint movements (CNET)&nbsp;During the Q&amp;A, Elon mentioned that it is possible to have a feature for the Link where the user will be able to upload their memories to the cloud and replay them at will.&nbsp;</div></div><h2>The When</h2>Neuralink received a breakthrough designation from the FDA in July 2020 and it looks like they are on track to start human trials by the end of 2021.&nbsp;

Neuralink is an ambitious startup backed by Elon Musk that hopes to rid the world of brain-related illnesses using a coin-sized chip

Neuralink: The Company That Wants To Put A Chip In Your Head

<a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics</a> is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings. The models created by Open Bionics are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, making sure its wearer feels comfortable wearing them - both physically and socially.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipP-z_koTZs?&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 456px;"></iframe>Bionic hands can be very expensive. Starting at about $35,000, they can go up to even $120,000. Open Bionics is developing a bionic hand that offers the same functionality at under $1,200.<h2>The 3D printed prosthetic</h2>The Open Bionics hand is suited for trans-radial amputees: people that still have an elbow joint but miss anywhere from their hand upwards. The prosthetic works through sensors that are placed on the wearer's muscles. These send out an electric signal that allows the hand to move when specific muscles are flexed. Each finger can be moved independently and with varying speed, allowing for different gripping modes and movements to be made.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664181040-Bionic_hand_sensor_placement.webp">Sensors are placed on the wearer's muscles&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664198362-Open_Bionics_hand_movement.webp">Muscle movements allow the hand to move in various ways&nbsp;<section>3D printing plays a vital part in the development of the Open Bionics hand. After 3D scanning the wearer's residual limb, a prosthetic design is made in 3D modeling software, after which both the hand and its socket are 3D printed.As all the mechanical components of the hand can be 3D printed, it becomes a cost-effective alternative to the traditional, expensive prosthetic. As it's about 30 times cheaper than other available alternatives, it helps to make robotic hands accessible to a wider audience.<h2>Rigid and flexible materials</h2>The Open Bionics hands are created using both rigid and flexible materials to support the varying functionalities of different parts of the hand. The fingers are printed in one piece with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/tpu-95a" target="_blank">flexible TPU</a> and have joints built-in that work directly after the printing has finished. Other parts, that need to be more rigid, are printed with <a href="https://ultimaker.com/materials/pla" target="_blank">PLA</a>. Since the fingers' joints are built-in, the number of different parts that need to be manufactured is greatly reduced, which simplifies the assembly process.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664225372-3D_printing_prosthetic_hand.webp">Different materials are used for different parts of the hand&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1602664249526-Flexible_prosthetic_finger_joints+%281%29.webp"><figure type="ArticleImage"><figcaption>The soft fingers are printed in one piece with flexible material</figcaption></figure>3D printing not only shrinks the development costs of these bionic hands - it also allows for tailor-made designs to be implemented that perfectly match the wearer's wants and needs. Check the <a href="https://www.openbionics.com/" target="_blank">Open Bionics website</a> to stay up-to-date on the progress made in this field.As this case illustrates, 3D printing can radically change the way in which medical applications are approached. For an overview of other 3D printing applications in the medical field, check out our explore pages: <a href="https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ultimaker.com/en/explore/where-is-3d-printing-used/medicine</a><hr>Disclaimer:&nbsp;Ultimaker 3D printers are designed and built for Fused Filament Fabrication with Ultimaker engineering thermoplastics within a commercial/business environment. The mixture of precision and speed makes the Ultimaker 3D printers the perfect machine for concept models, functional prototypes and the production of small series. Although we achieved a very high standard in the reproduction of 3D models with the usage of Ultimaker Cura, the user remains responsible to qualify and validate the application of the printed object for its intended use, especially critical for applications in strictly regulated areas like medical devices and aeronautics.</section>

Open Bionics is creating the next generation of prosthetic limbs. What sets these apart from traditional prosthetics is that all of the mechanical parts are 3D printed, bringing along considerable cost-savings.

Open Bionics: 3D printed prosthetic limbs

Rear view of the ankle-assisting exosuits with its soft robotic elements and the cable that transfers mechanical power from actuators operated from the hip to the ankle join. (Image courtesy of the Rolex Awards/Fred Merz)

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