Mydesign, I've been reading science fiction since the early 60s as a kid. Writing it was one of my childhood dreams. Seeing it come alive, so to speak, in these stories may be as close as I'll get.
78RPM, the technology is still crude. As the article states, the robot's arm and leg movements are being controlled by thought to follow another person. But this doesn't include thought control of the entire body to keep it upright. So the robot still needs to be held up by another person so it won't fall over.
Yes, TJ, I agree. We know that the technology of gesture recognition is already possible. We have also seen Japanese robots that (who?) can walk upright. What bothered me about the video is that the robot had to be supported by a second human. Magicians know that this leaves wide open the possibility that the whole claim of "remote" thought control was just a twist of the operator's wrist.
Is this new technology or just a brand of religion seeping into wishful geeks and dweebs?
@Charles Murray: Thanks for the link. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is an incredible place. My godfather was there recently after a major stroke. This was during the time that Senator Mark Kirk was there. There is nothing good about having a stroke, but the level of care they provide is amazing.
In a much more crude fashion, Dave, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 2005 "re-wired" the body of a man who lost both arms as the result of an electrical accident. By thinking, he can move the fingers on one of his artificial arms. It's not nearly as elegant as the solution shown here, but it shows we're moving toward a Sam Worthington-type of solution.
Regarding sci-fi and robotics, science fiction stories (not movies) predicted all kinds of advances only now being realized in robotics and other technologies, but they did this decades ago. We now have the technologies to make these robots, and movie-making finally has good enough CGI to realize many of these abilities on-screen.
Thanks, Dave. As we mention in the article, the main apps are indeed rehab for those that can be rehabilitated. For those that can't because they're paralyzed, the goal is physical embodiment like in the movie.
I seems that, science fiction screenplay writers are the driving force behind such innovations. In most of the science fiction movies there are some robots with extra ordinary habits and movements, which are controlled from remote location. I think such visualization capacity motivates the scientists and engineers to work towards for successful realization in real world environment.
Good point about SF advances in robots, Gsmith120. With all of the advances Ann has been covering, now it almost looks like advances in robotics is getting ahead of the SF world.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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