Jesse Sullivan from Tennessee is the world's first 'bionic man'

[dotcoma]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4648139.stm

Jesse Sullivan from Tennessee in the US is the world's first 'bionic man'. He lost both his arms after receiving an electric shock at work, and despaired that he would never live independently again. But within weeks of the accident, scientists at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) had replaced the 58-year-old electrician's left arm. He was given a special "bionic" arm - a mechanical device directed by his own brain. I would like to have my arms back, but that is not going to happen Jesse Sullivan Now he can feed himself, shave, put on his own socks and glasses, weed and mow his garden.

Thought this was incredible. I mean how do we even know how the brain communicates with joints and such to actually replicate such a complex thing?

[MerlinsByte]

He was given a special "bionic" arm - a mechanical device directed by his own brain.

mb........I am happy for the man that lost his arms, however remarakable it is a brain to muscle interface. I think that the brain to computer interface barrier is the most difficult problem to overcome. Our nerves use biochemical signals to tell our limbs what to do. It would be cool to have direct brain to computer interface with artificial limbs. Our reflexes would be speeded up on an order of at least 1000 times normal. And we would have direct access to the worlds data bases just by thinking about it...hmmmm, rather scary .like a T-4 or something...


I'll be back

mb

[Samildanach]

Brain to muscle signalling is relatively easy compared to acessing databases. Now that would be something. Accessing the worlds knowledge as easy as memories.