igargoyle

Bionic Arm

This bionic arm can do things like picking up fragile items such as a glass, just by the wearer just thinking about it. The arm is connected directly to the wearer, Jesse Sullivan's brain, so he's able to use it like any other appendage. The device weighs 12 pounds, and at this rate, I don't think it will be long to see a 'million dollar man' make headlines.

Electrodes intercept the limb's residual nerve firings and feed them to a computer embedded in the forearm, which then commands six motors to move the device's shoulder, elbow and hand in unison. Thanks to hand sensors, the wearer can even gauge pressure and fine-tune his grip.

[ Link via Davy Kreiger. Thanks David! ]

Zap away the Pounds

I'm not a big fan of "get slim quick" plans, but I *am* a fan of devices that electrocute people! Here's an implant that uses electrical impulses to make the body think the user is already full. If I weighed another 250 pounds, I think I might consider such a device.

The technology, by Transneuronix, comprises a matchbox-sized pacemaker implanted into the abdomen, linked to electrodes in the stomach wall.

However, it would not work miracles and the user must still eat a healthy diet and do exercise, they cautioned.

The device works by triggering the nerves in the stomach that are involved in digestion.

These tell the brain that the stomach is full so the individual feels as though they have already eaten even though they have not.

[ Link to BBC article via Boing Boing ]