Robotic Arm Technology Has Rapidly Improved
Cybernetics professor Kevin Warwick professes to be the “first Cyborg.” Project Cyborg began in August of 1998, when Warwick implanted a computer chip into his left arm, which later allowed him to open doors, move a robotic hand and operate an electronic wheelchair. The implant also allowed him to tap into the Internet at Columbia University in New York and control a robotic arm at the University of Reading in the UK. Another one of the experiments tested telepathic communication between two individuals by way of implants. In the 70s, researchers felt that robotic arms would be a vital asset to the workplace. Little did they know, humans would consider fusing themselves with this technology to become super-human cyborgs!
Starting in 1975, robotic arms have been used for industrial purposes. In some cases, they do the work more quickly, more accurately and more efficiently than human workers ever could. Yet in other instances, they simply perform work that is too monotonous, dangerous or undesirable for men and women. In the US auto industry, for example, there is one robotic arm for every ten workers. Industrial robots lift heavy objects, handle chemicals, and paint and assemble parts. Rather than replace jobs, the robotic system is intended to free up more creative, fulfilling work for people instead. After all, the Czech word “robota” translates to “drudgery work.”
The National Stroke Association says that stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. It is caused by a disruption in the brain’s blood vessels and has left over four million Americans debilitated. Forty percent of stroke victims require some special care for their injury; 25% recover with minor impairments; 15% die after the incident; 10% can expect a full recovery and 10% require nursing home care. Doctors say rehabilitation is the key to a successful recovery and the NESS H200 robotic arm is helping patients relearn skills they lost during their stroke. The device delivers electrical stimulation to the patients’ hands while they’re eating, writing or drinking. The second part of the device, the robotic arm that attaches to the forearm and wrist, helps patients move their arms to strengthen the connection between mind to body. Over time, the body will just naturally move on its own again.
The first robotic arm was a crude device, similar to arcade games. However, the latest robotics automation technology has arms functioning more like the human anatomy, able to perform a wide range of motions, with fingers waving and wrists rotating. Perhaps the greatest challenge will be to devise a way to make these devices affordable to more people so it becomes a practical solution for hospitals, small businesses and homes.