Robotics and Computers: Curing Paralysis ? Urban Times

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With the help of a robotic arm, a paralyzed woman took a sip of coffee unaided for the first time in 15 years.

The British Broadcasting Corporation reports?that two paralyzed patients in the United States have successfully managed to control a robotic arm using only their thoughts. This remarkable scientific achievement is the result of a collaboration between Brown University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Veteran Affairs.

58-year-old Cathy Hutchinson is shown in a video controlling a robotic arm and taking a drink from a flask of coffee. For years, Hutchinson had been paralyzed from the neck down, relying on the aid of others to perform simple, daily chores.

What is the secret behind this latest miracle? A tiny sensor chip implanted in the brain. The sensor is linked to a computer, allowing the brain to send signals to control the robotic arm. Theoretically, the arm would allow patients to perform basic daily chores that would otherwise require the assistance of a healthy, mobile assistant.

Credit: Un ragazzo chiamato Bi via Flickr

The new ability to control a robot with the mind is certainly wonderful news for patients suffering from paralysis. Unfortunately, while many new devices are constantly being invented to help people with disabilities function independently, there are still many patients who are solely reliant on others for assistance. The burden of relying on a caregiver, not to mention the strain caregivers must endure, make it difficult for the families of patients to live ordinary lives. ?In many cases where patients are entirely dependent on others, the mind is still completely functional. Mind-controlled robotic technology could drastically improve the quality of life for these patients and their caregivers.

While new technology such as mind-controlled robots are certainly a step in the right direction, these robots cannot yet grant complete independence to those who are paralyzed. Professor Leigh Hochberg, speaking to the BBC about the long-term goals of the robot project, said the team aims to reconnect the brains of paralyzed patients to their limbs. Effectively, the team aims to remove the robotic middle-man and completely ?fix? paralysis. The same technology would also allow amputees to control prosthetic limbs using the neural interface, restoring mobility.

Credit: Frankenstoen via Flickr

Replacing lost limbs with robotic prosthetics certainly sounds a lot like something from a science fiction novel. Professor Hochberg admits that the team?s long term goals are ?distant ambitions?, but they remain optimistic. It?s difficult to say when the new technology will be ready for widespread use, however.

While scientists continue their research, it may be time for society to consider the implications of these new discoveries. How could we adapt to robotic limbs? What sort of patients would be best suited to using the technology? Perhaps more pressingly, how could we reduce the costs of producing the technology so that it can become widespread medical equipment? If we have finally found a way to return freedom to paralyzed patients, then we must work diligently to ensure that we remove all the other barriers to the technology in the future.

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