Tag Archives: prosthetics

The Tender Mash-up

Since I chose to write about things made of metal skins and electrical guts in November, and then about warm-blooded carbon-based life in December, I couldn’t resist a combination. I call it the tender mash-up because the fusion of man and machine might result in an emotional being with a huge leap forward in physical capacity. The popular television and movie characters Robocop and The Six Million Dollar Man may be coming close to reality. Continue reading The Tender Mash-up

The Top Ten Substitutive Pieces List

Sven Johnson reports back from the Future Imperfect once again, rounding up the hottest body-mods, elective surgeries, prosthetic add-ons and extensions of the human condition from a year that’s probably less distant from our own than we suspect.

Future Imperfect - Sven Johnson

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I don’t normally care for lists, especially at this time of year when we’re inundated with “Best of the Year” lists, “Worst of the Year” lists, and of course the obligatory “New Year’s Resolution List” lists. However, as a pre-emptive strike, I thought I’d jump in with my own contribution; something perhaps a bit different than the usual fare. So without further delay, here’s my “Top Ten Substitutive Pieces List”. Continue reading The Top Ten Substitutive Pieces List

Bionic limb pr0n

If you’re fascinated by bionic limbs and other prosthetic technologies, you’ll want to be checking out Wired‘s gallery of photos showcasing the current state of the art – we’re still a good distance from the uncanny valley in this field, but the actual utility and ergonomics of the designs are reaching a point where their usefulness balances out their clunky appearance. Borrowed from the gallery in question, this here is the “Luke” arm, developed by a company owned by the guy who invented the Segway:

The 'Luke' bionic arm

Go check ’em out… and bear in mind that an Italian car accident victim spent a month last year testing an entirely thought-controlled prosthetic replacement for his lost limb. Interesting times.