After i heard about that woman to have a real bionic arm, i always wondered if it was possible to have other extensions to the human body attached with bionics. I read that it works by using old nerve endings or something like that, but is it possible to make/change the functions of nerves or if the robotic tail just convert differant functions to another (such as breath, into move tail up [just as an example]). And could they turn like where the legs are into fins/ tail like a fish or snake as there are nerve ending there which have similar properties. thanks for any GOOD answers :), best answer 5*
-
Direct nerve connections have been tried in research, but the technology is not yet practical for real use.
The best artificial limbs that function with 'thought control' at the moment use pressure sensors positioned over muscles in the stump (or elsewhere), so as the wearer contracts and relaxes existing muscles the limb motors move it (eg, opening & closing the hand or rotating the wrist).
The brain can re-learn how to do things when nerves are re-arranged.
When nerves are cut and re-connected - such as when someone has lost a hand or arm in an accident and it's been re-attached - the individual nerve fibres within each 'nerve' do not connect back in the same places as they originally were, they just grow back in to random channels depending how the cut ends of the nerve body line up.
If they grow back OK so the person regains movement, the brain has to re-learn what nerve operates what muscle.
It's like the expression 'Learning to walk again' after a major accident - as long as the brain has enough connections to the muscles, it will eventually figure out which to use and movements become automatic again.
The same should apply with alternate 'limbs' or body parts.
The best artificial limbs that function with 'thought control' at the moment use pressure sensors positioned over muscles in the stump (or elsewhere), so as the wearer contracts and relaxes existing muscles the limb motors move it (eg, opening & closing the hand or rotating the wrist).
The brain can re-learn how to do things when nerves are re-arranged.
When nerves are cut and re-connected - such as when someone has lost a hand or arm in an accident and it's been re-attached - the individual nerve fibres within each 'nerve' do not connect back in the same places as they originally were, they just grow back in to random channels depending how the cut ends of the nerve body line up.
If they grow back OK so the person regains movement, the brain has to re-learn what nerve operates what muscle.
It's like the expression 'Learning to walk again' after a major accident - as long as the brain has enough connections to the muscles, it will eventually figure out which to use and movements become automatic again.
The same should apply with alternate 'limbs' or body parts.
-
Hmmmm ask a doctor