Enabling the disabled: what can bionics do for the human condition?

Sometimes people lose a body part due to an accident and other times they are just born without it. They struggle their best to be normal and taken like that by those around them too – but are they? You know the answer just as much as I do. They are either bullied at schools or kicked out of their jobs in the corporate world, at times. It isn’t a case that happens with everyone but it does happen so let’s not kid us. They start lacking in confidence and get suicidal too. Very few such people are actually able to get themselves to be taken seriously. Sometimes, people are too sympathetic towards them and other times too cruel. However, their parental support and a healthy environment can really boost up their confidence and help them lead a life as they see fit. But what if they could feel better than that even? Biology and technology have come together to form the miracle that we know as Bionics. I won’t be too far off to say that we are actually living in the era of Science Fiction. The developments happening are paving a path for the redefinition of human life. We now have bionic ears and eyes, prosthetics and even brain scanners that are helping us in dealing with disabilities. We are breaking barriers and evolving fast, creating a better future. People have started gaining these benefits and we’re going to discuss a few of these miracles briefly. 1. THE BIONIC EYErnBy the use of electric signals sent straight to the brain, the bionic eye will simply bypass the eye and connect directly to the visual part of the brain. It includes a small camera installed in the eye with an external processor. A small microchip implanted inside the brain will receive the signals sent through the camera and an image will appear. This tech will mostly benefit those blinds that could see at some point in their life. Nevertheless, it’s a great leap from any other eye improvement that we’ve seen. 2. ADVANCED PROSTHETICS; LIMBSrnAmputees are the most common yet extremely painful part of a war. All these brave men and women who fight for the country and their fellow natives have extremely difficult lives after returning home, missing a limb or more. DRAPA is a military organization and it has launched a new line of prosthetics that come equipped with artificial nerve endings. They have the ability to not just support the individual but also allow sensations, improving their everyday life. Imagine losing an arm and then getting a better stronger one that feels and responds to your brain. 3. REGROWTH OF BONESrnYes, it’s true and it has been working perfectly since 2005 when researchers at UCLA were able to design the exact protein, UCB-1, that has the ability to grow bone in targeted places. This protein is useful for the regrowth of sections of vertebrae, making lives more pain-free, all thanks to bionics. 4. SMART KNEErnNow that is for sure a smart option. Developed by MIT’s artificial intelligence, the RHEO knee learns the exact movements of its user and then intelligently replicates the motion. The sensors understand the terrain and make it easier for the disabled to deal with their prosthetics. These were just a few examples from the world of biotech. There is so much more like the Artificial Pancreas which help with the diabetics, the Bionic Ear which can now be controlled through iPhone, Wearable Kidney to help get rid of dialysis machines, Artificial Cells and chips for better health monitoring and so much more. The world of bionics is expanding and will soon be within everybody’s reach for further information just surf the internet (check www.localcabledeals.com/Internet) Bionic is not ProstheticrnWhile bionic makes one feel like a normal human being again … it can’t in, anyway, be thought of as a prosthetic. Bionics is the process of replacing one’s limb or some other body part with an artificial body part of the same width, length and (almost same) color. Prosthetics, on the other hand, is an artificial device that is used to replace a body part that was never there … apart that was missing. For example; an eye, tooth, limb or a heart valve. As per Jesse Watts, a bionic engineer, the main difference between the two can be explained as the way they derive power. According to Watts, there isn’t any other main difference. And no – you can in no way become a Cyborg if you have a bionic or prosthetic leg or arm. They are being designed to make their human hosts feel most natural. Not too heavy and not too supernatural!