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The Pentagon's already got brain-controlled prosthetics, and they are a major improvement over old-school artificial limbs. The devices are far from perfect, however. They rely on metal implants, which aren't compatible with the body's tissues, and they can only transmit a few signals at a time - turning what should be a simple movement into a Herculean task. More »
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Modern archeologists have found two artificial big toes in Egyptian tombs: the linen and plaster "Greville Chester toe," which dates back past 600 BC (below); and the wood and leather "Cairo toe," which was built between 950-710 BC and was unearthed affixed to a female mummy. Researchers were unsure if these devices were functional or merely aesthetic, but after some sure-footed testing, they appear to be the earliest prosthetics discovered yet. More »
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At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, journalist Evan Ackerman became the first person stateside to test Cyberdyne's HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit. Watch him take a stroll in this amazing mind-controlled exoskeleton. More »
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Hiromi Ozaki's Penis Cybernetique is a prosthetic John Thomas that rises and falls with the user's heart rate. It emulates what it's like to sport a penis, albeit one that was rendered on an Atari 2600. NSFW for geometric nudity. More »
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The Modular Prosthetic Limb allows 22 degrees of motion, independent movement of the fingers, weighs as much as a human arm, and responds to the user's thoughts. So how is it different from a real arm? It really isn't. More »
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In 1999, an accidental shotgun blast severely damage the face of 16-year-old Chrissy Steltz. 11 years later, Steltz was fitted for a prosthetic face that allows her to go out in public without wearing her usual cloth facial mask. More »
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Though creatures like the Terminator are still scifi dreams, cyborgs already exist in real life. Millions of people use mechanical implants to improve their lives. That opens up urgent questions about cyborg rights, particularly in athletics. More »
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A one-time intelligence analyst with the Pentagon, Aimee Mullins is an athlete, model, and activist. And she does it all using a collection of experimental prosthetic legs. She says her special "cheetah" legs give her superpowers. More »
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In 2004, Claudia Mitchell lost her left arm in a motorcycle accident. Two years later, she became the first woman to have a bionic arm - a prosthetic limb that she controls with her mind. More »
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Are we coming upon the era of bionic limbs? Another company has created a robotic hand that can be controlled by the wearer's thoughts and restores tactile sensation — and the subject claims it feels almost like a real hand. More »
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Current prostheses allow individuals who have lost a hand to grasp and hold objects, but regaining their sense of touch has been out of the question. But a new robotic hand is giving its wearers a new tactile sensation. More »
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Afraid upgrading your limbs will mean living with metal appendages, or falling into the uncanny valley of flesh-colored plastic? Fear not, one designer has a stylish new vision for prosthetics, one inspired by 1950s furniture and Steve McQueen. More »
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Scientists in Israel have come up with a way to cover prosthetics and joint replacements with a human tissue-like coating. A new application of a 200 year old electroplating process might be the future of complication-free joint replacements. More »
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Creating cool alien creatures for TV and movies is no easy feat. It requires constant innovation, an ability to create characters who are at the same time surprising and believable, and the magic power to smother actors in pounds of makeup and foam without killing them. Here are galleries showing off the work of our favorite six artists and studios who use makeup, prosthetics, and animatronics to keep pushing alien life to the next level. More »
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Your next prosthetic arm will be almost as good as the one you were born with: It will fuse with your existing skeleton. Veterinarians at North Carolina State University have developed a technique for attaching prosthetic limbs directly to the underlying bone structure in the remaining limb portion. Called "osseointegrated prosthetics," these limbs knit themselves with the patient's bone, allowing more for natural movement and avoiding some of the problems of "strap-on" prosthetics. A German Shepherd named Cassidy was the first canine patient to receive an osseointegrated prosthetic, and the researchers feel advances in fabrication and materials will allow them to shift the technology to humans in the near future. More »
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No longer will the word "robotic" refer to stiff, slow movements. We'll soon have 'bots that can pull a Miyagi and snatch a housefly out of the air with chopsticks, or, better yet, Robot Mixed Martial Arts Cage Matches! Robots are developing super-flexible physiologies thanks to current research into biomechanics, which suggest that artificial muscles work best when made to imitate a toad's tongue or a human ankle. More »
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"Iron Man" fans rejoice: real exoskeletons are coming. Japanese company Cyberdyne has plans to start selling their model, the HAL-5 Robot Suit later this year. The American company Sarcos has its own prototype out, too, so the race is on for new generations of exoskeletons that can do everything humans an do, only better (and fly, too). But while you're watching videos of the two exos performing jaw-dropping feats of strength, MIT biomechatronics researcher Hugh Herr is getting ready to blow your mind by building building prosthetic limbs that could have all the super powers of exos. For the moment he's focused on helping people with disabilities, but he thinks it won't be long before we'll be implanting "bions" inside our body and considering swapping out our biological legs for the shiny new pair in the storefront window. More »
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