Creating a World of Possibility - the Applications of Bionics

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increase the strength of a patient to beyond human levels without harming the individual would require the exoskeleton to intuitively sense the intensity with which a muscle is operating (Riso 3). While doing that, it would also have to match that intensity, and output power with the motors into the hydraulics that then appropriately boost the intensity without making it too much for the body to handle. There are some designs of wearable exoskeletons that have achieved this goal to an extent, while at the same time maintaining that level of safety where a muscle is not in danger of being torn from the bone from an unexpected amount of power. Fabrizio Sergi, Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware College of Engineering, outlines the success of one exoskeleton in particular, the RiceWrist-S. He clearly shows his approval of the use of this exoskeleton by saying “This design achieves the goals of 1) covering the complete workspace of the human wrist, 2) providing high torque output that enables both assistance and resistance training, and 3) introducing minimal friction, gravitational and inertial loading the haptic display of forces to the user” (Sergi 2). The RiceWrist-S is just one example of many exoskeletons that function to restore and enhance the capabilities of a human to a suitable level of functionality.

2.1 Military Applications of Exoskeletons

Strangely enough, exoskeletons are not utilized in rehabilitatory situations nearly as much as their neuroprosthetic counterparts because they can be much more beneficial in practical situations. Exoskeletons have been pursued, rather, for their promise of a stronger, better man capable of more than what is humanly possible to increase efficiency in a particular line of duty like military service or fire rescue. The U.S. Military, using government funding, has looked into exoskeletons heavily in the past several years, claiming that the bionic soldier is becoming more and more of a reality and may even be possible in the coming years. Interestingly, the secret to creating a stronger bionic man starts at the feet and makes its way up from there. In an experiment conducted by one Jason Highsmith, MD, three different designs for an ankle exoskeleton were tested by sending patients through a military obstacle course. Highsmith produces the influential information that there was almost no discernable difference in the performance of the amputees on the obstacle course versus the performance of the non-amputee control group, “In terms of per-obstacle completion time… only two obstacles yielded differences” (6). Even though the subjects who were not part of the control group were significantly impaired, with the assistance of exoskeletons they were able to function at a higher level than they would have with orthodox physical therapy methods. Increasing interest leads to the development of these exoskeletons with the working man in mind, to make him better, faster, and stronger, so that in eventuality he surpasses the efficiency of even the best worker that does not have aid from an exoskeleton.

2.2 Exoskeletal Solutions to Paralysis

Although the military is intrigued by exoskeletons and their uses, their focus does not showcase the neural properties of exoskeletons, but the neural properties of exoskeletons are what truly aid in the rehabilitation of patients. Exoskeletons can be designed to solely restore limb function instead of strengthening it, and this concept is what is in focus when the subject becomes paralysis. Motivation to rehabilitate can have a significant impact on the success of the exoskeleton because of the neural connection that the body shares with the interface of the exoskeleton. Gordon Wallace, in his book, Organic Bionics, explains that, “Users may also differently evaluate human-machine systems in regard to usability…, functional gains, and other factors that may influence the user’s acceptance of the neurorobotic system” (211). From the complex neural connection between the exoskeleton’s computer and the patient’s brain stems a quicker rehabilitation process through the exoskeleton’s trained interpretation of signals from the brain after repetition of motion. Since the development of exoskeletons has improved so greatly in the past century, not only can they aid in the rehabilitation of patients afflicted by paralysis, but also those who are diagnosed with various psychological disorders.

3. Bionics

All things considered, bionics has helped to shape the growth of the rehabilitation practices with ease in mind. Although it is a relatively novel field of study, bionics is the most promising when it comes to research of the future seeking to replace man with everlasting machine. Sidney Perkowitz, Charles Howard Candler Professor Emeritus of Physics at Emory University, states that, “We ourselves are partly artificial or ‘bionic’--that is, people with synthetic parts-- to a surprising extent: 8 to 10 percent of the U.S. population, approximately 25 million people, and becoming more so as our population ages” (3). With the demand rising for newer technologies that come from the study of bionics, it is apparent that success in the field is praised and encouraged greatly by leaders in medicine, and, more specifically, leaders in the discipline of physical therapy. That praise was not achieved through failure, it was achieved through the successful attempts made by engineers to exhibit the fluid rehabilitation that their products promised to patients with a wide variety of problems.

To summarize, neuroprosthetics have had a significant influence with respect to the medical rehabilitation of patients, and also provide a number of uses that pertain to real world situations like military service. As a matter of fact, the ultimate goal of rehabilitation with neuroprosthetics is to optimize the independence and functions of individuals with disabilities (Navarro 2). In addition, exoskeletons have been explored for their applications in the sphere of the workplace with military applications being at the center of that sphere. Finally, the study of bionics lead to the understanding of natural mechanisms that inevitably made rehabilitation not unlike a casual walk in the park compared to a grueling climb up Mount Everest for the patients who were subjects of the bionic experimentation. Technological advances have been made since the dawn of mankind, but none are as important as the those that have been made in the field of bionics because those advances are ever closer to becoming a perpetual replacement for the greatest disease of all, age.