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Asked by everybodydotheflop to Jen, Jill, Mel, Phil, Stef on 9 Mar 2013.
Question: How long do you think It'll take to make advanced Bionics?
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Jennifer Paxton answered on 9 Mar 2013:
This is a very interesting question…..do you mean machines that can do the job of a living thing?
If so, then there are already some technologies available that do just that – a cochlear implant is one! This is a device that lets deaf people hear again. There are some other ones in medicine such as an artificial retinas or artificial hearts, or artificial hands, arms and legs.
The possibilities of this technology are amazing, and it is so exciting to think that more and more new tecnologies are being developed all the time. Recently, a group of scientists built a bionic man that had an artificial heart, retina and limbs, and was able to walk and avoid objects all by itself – amazing!!
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Phil Rice answered on 11 Mar 2013:
Difficult question and outside my field. I expect we need a major technological advance (whih is inherently unpredictable). I would guess 30-40 years. I hope I am alive to see it!
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Stefan Piatek answered on 13 Mar 2013:
Fantastic question, lots of universities have bio-engineering degrees which seem to be making things for medicine or treating people. As Jen said, there’s a few things that have been made, the cochlear implant, people can control a pointer on a screen using their brain or artifical limbs that respond like hands.
There’s lots of science fiction about having brains that can talk to our brain, so we could record everything that we see or be connected to the internet the same way that smartphones are.
I think that we’re a long way off that kind of thing, but something like artificial red blood cells are fairly close and would be really useful.Hope that’s added something to already great answers.
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Melissa Brereton answered on 13 Mar 2013:
Sorry- this isn’t really in my area of science! But Stefan and Jennifer are giving good answers 🙂
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everybodydotheflop commented on :
I mean Bionics that engineers make, in collaboration with doctors etc. to be able to link to nerves, so they act just like a normal, natural arm, but are artificially made. I am aware of some cases that it has been successful, but it takes a while for the individual to master the movement techniques, and there are still some faults with it, but for a generally epic limb that is high-tech and versatile.
😀
Stef commented on :
Ah I get you, this isn’t quite what you meant but it’s amazing. This lady who is paralysed was able to control a robot arm using her brain! http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/science/bodies-inert-they-moved-a-robot-with-their-minds.html?_r=0 .
It was the first time in 15 years that she could do it! Still quite a way off for having it the same size, and I think that powering it would also be an issue but apparently she could move it very well after training!
everybodydotheflop commented on :
😮 that’s awesome!! Thankyou 😀