Dean Kamen: New prosthetic arm for veterans

[kingofallwhites]

That was 5 years ago. Where is it? Did the guy using it have both arms?

[usafadb]

This guy is so humble it's moving

[crudhousefull]

Just 20 years after Terminator, when most of us started thinking seriously about the possibilities of creating a cyborg. Absolutely incredible

[WaprilsJimBob]

irl david sarif? 

[Boss5414]

Dean Kamen is my fucking role model

[whatnottobe]

we need more people like dean kamen, he nevers says "never" to technology. with just a little character and hard work anything is possible.

[rediwsCp]

just a few more years with working out the kinks and we will have AUTOMAIL!!!!

[blackdove123]

I'm a high school senior how do I get into this field

[GT35R]

@blackdove123

you can start by getting a degree in mechanical engineering

[lentilcurrymuncher]

@blackdove123 Look up biomechatronics, or even robotic-biomech. That's what I'm doing in uni. I recommend an electrical engineering bachelors with a masters in biomedical engineering. More power to you.

[aszeryudiko]

@lentilcurrymuncher Can you reccomend any universities that offer majors or programs in this type of bio-robotics? I was planning on taking bio and engnieering majors at a local university, then transfering out to a university with hopefully a more speciallized bio-engineering program. Thanks :)

[lentilcurrymuncher]

@aszeryudiko

well i could recommend any number of universities, but it's really up to which university fits you best. However, since the bioengineering field is still relatively new, compared to others, I would recommend a research oriented university to get your hands-on-experience early.

Also, just because a university has the #1 or 2 ranked program, it doesn't mean it's the best option for you.

[aszeryudiko]

@lentilcurrymuncher Ok, thank you, I'll keep that in mind! :)

[NevaGonaGiveYouUp]

falcon punch will soon be a reality

[spenceII]

I realise that the first thing amputees would want is to have their arm back the way it was. However, - speaking from my fortunate fully-limbed perspective - if I were to have a robotic arm, I would want it to look robotic.

[marklvrd]

what feild of study is this biomedical engineering?

[Boleskine33]

Dean Kamen is a national treasure. This man changes lives.

[statictruck460]

@Boleskine33 Interesting you would call him a national treasure since on the web site Return of the Revolutionaries, he is identified as the reincarnation of Benjamin Franklin.

[forkball1968]

@Boleskine33 I used to work for Dean and I have to tell you, that I agree. I love that all of his inventions have been geared around solving real problems. He's a brilliant man.

[allteeth]

I have yet to see that awesome filtration system in full use.. or at least with much coverage at all.

I am not in the slightest bit believing that DARPA has any inclination to give 1600 currently injured troops a million dollar arm. Even if they get the price down to 300k each, itll never happen. They aren't even managing PTSD in these troops. This is real cute, and great technology, but never going to see this. You will pay dearly for it though.

[Slip819]

@allteeth The prototyping, and tech, processors, actuators, sensors, etc. are all relatively cheap now, whereas you'd have to get really expensive manufactures in the 90s or early 2000-2004s to make you a custom purpose chip (insanely expensive) now days most any processor is small and versatile enough to do the job. They'll make these the same way Dell/HP makes custom computers, and like mens warehouse sells coats it'll be expensive but not 300k think starts 100k then down to 20k post 5yr mark

[Slip819]

@allteeth Also there is a big difference in how the current DARPA and other funders are pushing the projects, in the past these things have gotten grants and full patent and licensing powers, ergo that alone is a price doubler and a problem for much modern prosthetics, Dean Kamen, DARPA, and other companies are taking an open source approach with this APL design originating from Jonathan Kuniholms *Open* Prosthetics project. The initial 100k pays back funding, then the price really will drop.

[wtu]

Those who say 'never' about a technology are almost always proven wrong.

[Meman136]

@wtu There'll never be any technology to prove that statement

[gaydare]

i hope stem cell research will be the REAL SOLUTION in replacing missing body parts. we hve cracked the human genome sequence of chromosomes already. we humans are not robots or machines!!! bionics will never be a match to real human limbs!!!!

[killamanjaro182]

@gaydare you sound like you are angry at him for his robotic arm for armless vets... i will agree that it probably will never meet the same standards of the real thing, but be happy we have come this far in rebuilding the body.

[pillowbugg]

@gaydare I agree completely. That's why we need such a push to curb religion. It does nothing but interfer with the progression of human achievement. Certianly stem cell reproduction will have to rely on bionics in order to mimick motor functions. I just don't see nerve fussion for another hundred years.

[lordofudead]

check out "the singularity" its kinda states that robots could get so smart they would be able to imrove themselves in such a way that isnt possible.

[0doublezero0]

@gaydare

Stem cell research will reach that point of giving back an amputee his arm. However, bionic will reach the reality of arm motor function far more quickly than stem cell research. Programing the cells to regrow and at the same time telling them to stop growing is god level control. This type of regulation mech will take a long time to achieve. I still believe in bionics because it is easier to replace a missing robot arm than a real one.

[akaCharlieG]

@gaydare

unless we get self organizing self replicating nano robots. In which case... 'f the genome.

[TMHiser]

False

[DieHardDeus]

How was that arm being controlled?

[metheawesomest]

The robotic arm he created is used by shifting up and down on your foot, like from the heel of your foot to the ball of your foot.

[im4everskilled]

By the russians

[Saktoth]

Yeah, it would mean you cant multitask when you masturbate.

Your entire life would be ruined.

Me, ive got better things to do though, with one arm or none.

[alexthecasualgamer]

How about in 10 years? 50 years? 100? 1000?

[rlinfinity]

and by then it will be better :) ........... maybe u fire lasers out of it and shit.

[dableutyef]

lol THREE ARMED FREAK! :0

[tenzin012]

i want to be just like Dean K...

[Slance1Himself]

Why doesn't anybody laugh at his jokes?.. "I still think you're nuts" lol

[Telulacrane]

This would be a very useful way to utilize robotics technology!

Rather than making living sextoys! I can't wait to see how this will improve in the next 15 to 20 years!

[1schwererziehbar1]

one arm costs 10 million $ probably.

[HeadshotmasterNeo]

an abrahms tank costs 5. I doubt this arm would be ten. I say more like 10 thousand, but that's just for research costs. the parts themselves are probably only a few thousand.

[1schwererziehbar1]

id say $10.000 is what one researcher involved in the developement of this machine earns in a week.

what a product costs is not only determined by the value of its parts and the assembling but also by how much it costed to develope it.

and that's why i think that one arm will probably cost $10.000.000.

[bcglaxer]

These arms will be at least $100k. The robotic knees are $22k and only control one joint.

[sirhung]

I guess nobody got the joke about the veteran with no legs and didn't lose his good arm.

[kidmecha]

That guy sounded like he was so tired. But great stuff, amazing achievement!

[akaCharlieG]

that guy was repressing incredible excitement for achieving such an incredible accomplishment and getting to finally present it to such a prestigious crowd.

I would've been jumping up and down happy

[timg455]

@akaCharlieG Yea man people losing their limbs in war and becoming handicapped is so exciting!!!

[iced4life3]

The more i view this the more i feel that we are going to be in a new age of computer and robitic technology that we just might be considered robotic ourselves.

[jehuty8]

this is cool! but we want terminator!

[GrimReaperX]

Pump out the tech! We need those cyborgs quickly!

[MournfulDemon]

see is shit like this that makes me so eager to follow my dream in robotics, no matter how fucking crazy people think I am. Thank you so much for the upload man.

[KingMahBoy]

People that think outside of the box are thought of as crazy, then they end up creating something awesome like air transportation, and everyone else shuts the hell up. Robotics would be an awesome field to get into.

[generalJB]

great stuff. blend the guy with no legs into a segway with these arms. hell. i just typed that for giggles, but wait, that can work...

[Thedreamshaperabc]

This is really great :)

(and to my fellow commentators: It is not about politics unless you make it so.)

[manofironfists1]

How does he controll it?

[dzjad]

there are many different ways....it goes case-by-case. It is very flexible and can be outfitted per individual

[HeadshotmasterNeo]

Some of you guys forget that people lose limbs by accidents as well. Now we shouldn't punish victims. Most of you people make me sick.

[RyanGunnip]

You people? And your comment is stupid, when somebody loses a limb, it is NEVER their fault and they don't deserve it.

[hiodr]

well that's good. how about let's stop having them lose their arms in the first place. reminds me of the fruits of medical success, all our elderly people ending up in electric wheelchairs instead of having use of their legs.

[allismind]

youre a dumbass

[uking]

kids?...sent to war.

[magog1138]

Mostly teenagers are the new recruits sent to war... old enough to kill, and yet to young to buy their last fucking beer legally.

Yes, they are kids, and they are sacrificing their young lives for something. Is it right? Of course not, but our elected leaders are crap, right? They are still young men, barely men... mostly kids, beloved children of thousands of mothers and fathers. Show some respect, man! At least, use your head.

[uking]

My head tells me that to much families already paid their duty to the country...always the same kids killed....hope that history show them respect...

[ehsanul]

the video is too short! more info! :P

[PageUpProductions]

he should have been using one when he gave the speech. that would have been cool.

[smallblockfuelie]

LOL .. the fact he has two good arms would make that difficult. But I understand what you're saying.

Great video and an amazing arm.

[EGarrett01]

Wow, that is going to cost a whole lot of money. Dean is brilliant, but everything he makes seems to require so much tiny machinery that the cost is always way too high to be practical.

[esaman]

You wouldn't think so if you didn't have an arm.

Certainly it would be more practical not to start the war.

[EGarrett01]

You mean it would be more practical to let warlords overrun the world?

[sirikariam]

my name is marthese i come from malta and live in london.i had an excident with the moterbyc and injured my arm its called combined bracul plexcus till todaqy my hand and fingers do not function i wounder if there is something to do i want my hand back

[ctijacob]

I too, have a brachial plexus injury, but it's from birth. I have approximately 20% usage of my arm; is this something may be considered for people with shoulder dystocia, or would some sort of cellular regeneration technology be more likely in the future?

[edj66]

Apart from that also being a big BMW marketing campaign...where's Arnie? Can't have terminator without Arnie!

[b199er]

all we need now is to make a robot leg, and torso. And we have a full cyborg. Doesn't matter about the AI. We can control it remotely by soldiers. Then send these mofo's by the millions into Iraq hehehe.

[Pottan23]

the worlds best FPS ever ^^

[fatbastard112]

dean kamen is awesome

[AcidRain64]

how the...

[xXTeslaXx]

this guy is a beast

[Aliendrizzt]

I am obssed with becoming a cyborg so I think Im gonna go get myself into an "accident" lol!

[ForcedToSignUp]

Good luck with that.

[Woopee]

First its for humanitarian reasons. Later that arm will choke me to death. I sense it.

[mitchsaville]

um, i'm confused.

i'm not at all saying i'm not shocked and amazed at the brilliance of the prosthesis, but i don't understand how it could be controlled?

the man using it in the example, if you look, still has both of his genetic arms.

[mitchsaville]

i expected the shoulder area on the mechanical arm read the very faint electrical signals coming from the stump and translated them and transported them to different areas in the prosthesis, making parts move. but, you can't get those electric signals from the side of a fully intact human shoulder. hm?

[Aliendrizzt]

Hey dude that would be cooler you could have 4 arms that way

[TypeTuber]

how was that being controlled?

[my15minutes]

5&F

[DeanKamengirl]

Dean, as always, you are my hero. I don't know how you said what you did w/o crying. Looks like you lost some weight....I think you need some of my home cooking...LOL Maybe one day you will make my dreams come true. sleeplessn2006@yahoo

[oxblood]

Are you addressing this to him? haha

[DeanKamengirl]

Sure I am addressing this to him. But...I am smart enough to know he doesn't have time to read these comments, so Dean is just a simple girl's crush... Remember, when you stop dreaming, you die.... (Although if he does invite me to cook dinner for him, you will be invited too...LOL) Thanks for the comment. Peace

[oxblood]

Hmmm that is very true, but it seems like an improbable thing to dream about. I would dream more about achieving his success or the like, because he's such an inspirational guy. But to each his own... LOL.

[DeanKamengirl]

I don't have to dream about achieving his success. I have been there and done that. My biggest dream would be for everyone to have the "Holiday Spirit" through out the entire year, and random acts of kindness to someone in need at least once a week. I would like that more than cooking for Dean....but that's just me... The dream of cooking for his is more of a silly day dream...not a goal. There is a big diffference. I guess I shouldn't use the word 'dream.' LOL Peace

[nilbud]

"I don't have to dream about achieving his success. I have been there and done that."

Yeah sure your arts and crafts projects are really really important. keep up that finger painting, the louvre beckons.

[anoutsideobserver]

That man and his collegues are absolute heroes!!!

[Jawa4422]

groovy...

[teejers01]

It's really inspiring to listen to someone who is so passionate about what they do.. These are the people that make the difference.. I'm jealous.

[Poofr]

Then become one yourself, I'll be first to believe & support you :D

[versio9]

a soldier with a robotic arm is a very dangerous soldier! use this only for peace!  (or against osama)

[Pikachu19900]

A robotic arm isn't really dangerous. If anything, it's fragile, easily susceptible to damage.

[misjudgeme]

Depends. Powered exoskeletons are looking up.

watch?v=h2jlIRKswnQ

[matfitz]

Haven't you seen the fugitive?!?! That man killed Harrison Ford's wife!!! Not safe, you're crazy!!!! I say ban all robots in our schools on mondays, wednesdays, and sundays.

[sdfsdf666]

Despite how awesome it is, a human arm still beats it at pretty much everything.

[massaky07]

Unless you don't have a human arm, like these kids, then it doesn't matter what it "wont" do, it matters what these kids "can" do.

[sdfsdf666]

I know, I was replying to someone's idiotic comment somewhere.

[allismind]

lmao "or against osama" man there are way too many dumb asses like u in this world

[thelevellers]

Wow, that's shit hot! I'm hugely impressed... Go them :)

[what24ever23]

blabblahblabbbbb... 7 minutes plus and 10 seconds of video that in all likely hood proves absolutely nothing.

[ckilr01]

Thats pretty amazing but veterans will never get one. I am 30% disables, one leg is a useless painful piece of meat, and I get $350 a month and a caine.

[geyser]

Bravo!

[gosciu555]

It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.

James Madison

saaay whaa?

[jojo808]

Military application has historically been the birth setting for most technological treasures we all enjoy today. In the next 100 year its plausible that the average person could have 'false' limbs, not to mention organs, not just as replacements but "Upgrades" if you will. Like people today attached to their bluetooth, or getting lasik eye procedures. Imagine only needing half the sleep or food and water due to non-organic limbs . No Arthritis, broken bones, fatigue......

[tokamak9master]

this is such cool technology. think of all those who will live more fully b/c of this guys' and other's efforts in this field. robotics and prothetics and neuroscience marriage is truly fascinating and inspiring.

 360girl save yer shrill anti-war rants for moveon msg board

[johnclavis]

I'm sure that's how all the widows of this war feel about it. I'm sure they're very happy that their husbands died for your right to tell anti-war people to shut up. Way to put their money where your mouth is!

[tokamak9master]

So you think Kamen should have refused the job? Im not happy about the f'ing war either. The anti war crowd immediately berates the benefits of bio-tech b/c of its unfortunate context. And theyre certainly allowed to be shrill, but someone needs to remind the anti US DOD bunch that they arent tending to disabled Iraqis either, most whom are being blown up by other Iraqis. If this horrible circumstance produces something good we cant condemn the good thing that came out of the bad situation.

[damianpoirier]

DK's the man. i wish i could work for him.

[openwheel6]

will you make a prosthetic leg too from below the knee?! Thats amazing work man.

[Drax812]

*BLEEP* You have no idea how Incredibly much this stokes me, These kids do what they do because they know it has to be done, this is only beginning to convey the debt that is owed by us all, DOD issued a challenge, make an arm for my boys that can play a piano, and I don't mean chopsticks, I mean Beethoven! ... TY

[Drax812]

People may dislike the science being applied to troops, but in all fairness people have been without a limb for various reasons for a long-long time, yet nobody found it profitable enough nor important enough to develop a very good replacement, I can recall as a young boy growing up "believing" in " steve Austin, as I grew and realized reality just wasn't there yet, I was always very disappointed, now, I feel fantastical dreams beyond current limitations of reality reignited.

[360girls]

Lets make limbs for the victims of these soldiers. An innocent child's life is worth more than a thousand of these volunteer killers. The side effect of these kind of inventions is that it makes it easier to send american kids into the hell of war.

[rparian6363]

You are a moron and an idiot. If it wasn't for these brave kids fighting to protect your freedom to be such an idiot you wouldn't even have the ability to post such an insensative comment. Make limbs for the emeny that wants to destroy us?? I think you should move to Iraq or Iran and no freedoms.

[johnclavis]

Way to see everything in black and white. Maybe she's talking about the children who've lost limbs, not "the enemy that wants to destroy us". You right-wingers are such hateful, scared little children. Anyone says anything you don't like, you start throwing out the slurs and attacks. I see you're already beating the war drums for Iran. Are you going to go fight in Iran, or are you going to demand that more of other people's kids die for your chickenshit bloodlust?

[ASGinnh]

Amen.. Ill even buy them a one way plane ticket.

[speakupforjustice]

that's awesome, it really is the best thing out there so far..but what's really cool is that advances in this technology will be even better in the near future!

[MrFrankBullitt]

Does anyone know what Dean Kamen's educational background is?

[speakupforjustice]

He went to some polytechnic/engineering college but dropped out. Most say he's a self taught physicist.

[sacapiloa]

eventually we'll get to the point where people wont even care if it looks like am arm, a leg, etc. we can think up much better designs for a body i bet.

[WarzSchoolchild]

A great achievement, but hey! that prothetic are was way too noisey!...With Neodymium Magnet Linear Stepper-Motors, that arm could be completely silent. Effectivey electric muscles. Potentially as powerful as the real thing. NiMH rechargeable batteries, can deliver high currents, and have a current power density of 180 Watt-Hours per Kilo. That's enough for both legs, yet alone arms.

[hamsterpoop]

it would be great if they would share the technology

[mrtypie]

Hey, that sure looked like James Randi (and Jeff Wagg) in the front row at the end of the clip. I can't wait until TED uploads his talk!

[kev3d]

It is a helluva lot better than the stupid segway scooter. In any case, its sad but true; war does spur innovation.

[speakupforjustice]

What's so bad about a guy wanting to do something b/c his heart pulls him to a direction where he hopes to make a difference in the lives of amputees? I don't think it's a question about war. It's a question about helping people...and so what if the carnage of war is what compelled Dean Kamen to make this..you have to remember it's Dean Kamen, he's an individual and has his own reasons and motivations..one can't be at fault w/ that.

[particle409]

Better living through science.

[tyrbolo]

So how many pieces do you have to have shot off

before they call you a "man"??

Or am I just blowing in the wind ??

[daniel246]

that was computer contraled u can see the trailing wire.

[hazzamon]

You are an idiot. It is more than likely an external power source and possibly also telemetry data feedback.

[pinkcious]

Amazing.

[miaoster]

thank you dean kamen. We love you!

[CURIOUS0111]

absolutely wonderful, Now would it be available to all the soldiers that lost limbs for no cost out of pocket?

[theinquisitor]

We <i>can</i> rebuild him. We have the technology!

[sacapiloa]

sooo... u think and it moves? pretty amazing

[xr0]

Quick, someone dispose of the arm before they build skynet O:

[thunderbow]

bionic beauty!

wow... i'm the first commentor! i love TED talks!