Robotic Arm Implantation Experiments

Although we often think of robotic prosthetic limbs as the work of science fiction, experiments on robotic arm implants show that the technology has viability and may soon give those with limited use of their arms hope to one day gain back some functionality. However, the invasive procedures of robotic arm implant experiments and their success sparks ethical debate on how to use this new technology.

History

• Experiments to allowing a brain-machine interface have been going on since the 1980s. Philip R. Kennedy pioneered many prototypes that showed some success in allowing people to use their minds to control cursors using electrodes attached under the skin, according to David Pope of the "Neurotech Business Report."

  The first recorded instance of a biological being controlling a robotic arm with a full range of motion using thought occurred in October of 2003 under the guidance of Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University, according to a "Washington Post" article on monkey robotic arm implants by Rick Weiss and reprinted by Wireheading.com. The scientists ran wires from the monkey's brain to a robotic arm that performed simple functions such as holding an object.

Significance

• Robotic arm implantation experiments pave the way for more human experimentation. Almost all experimental robotic arms use monkeys to test out new features and perfect the methods that allow robotic arms to read electrical impulses from the brain, according an article on the first human robotic arm implant by Mike Hanlon of GizMag. The Food and Drug Administration also requires animal testing verifying safety for human trials. If successful, robotic arm implant experiments could allow those with missing arms to regain some lost functionality, or allowed paralyzed patients to control robotic arms with their thoughts.

Types

• Experiments usually involve an actual robot arm as a prosthetic, or controlling a robotic arm from a distance, usually attached to the brain by electrodes. Most robotic arm implant experiments are done on monkeys using electrodes attached to brain. In 2005, Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University announced his intentions to become the first person to implant an arm into a human subject, controlled by a microchip in the brain, as soon as trials on monkeys are complete.

Criticism

• Successful human robotic arm implant experiments, and all human-brain interface technology poses some ethical questions, according to an article on brain-human interface and ethics by the American Academy of Audiology. Some wonder if a person with robotic limbs is considered a "pure" human and not a hybrid. Inevitably, some people with healthy arms may want robotic arms if the implant offers any significant benefits like enhanced strength. Ethics professor Jens Clausen of University of Tübingen in Tübingen, Germany believes that robotic arms are simply a tool that we use, like a car, and thus perfectly ethical.

Potential

• Robotic arm implant experiments only seem to keep getting better and more fit for human clinical trials. Since 2007, inventor Dean Kamen has displayed videos of a robotic arm experiment that comes very close to the characteristics of a real arm. Kamen's arm shows much more sensitivity and functionality than most robotic arm implants, which usually only move joysticks or possess small ranges of motion. Videos even show the arm picking up pieces of paper and holding a wineglass, reports "Wired Magazine."