New technology may enable humans to interact with machines in ways only dreamed of by science fiction writers. Although built for people suffering from impaired nervous systems, this technology could open up a whole new frontier merging man with machine.
(Space Daily) A robotic exoskeleton controlled by the wearer's own nervous system could help users regain limb function, which is encouraging news for people with partial nervous system impairment, say University of Michigan researchers. The ankle exoskeleton developed at U-M was worn by healthy subjects to measure how the device affected ankle function. [...]
In the U-M device, electrodes were attached to the wearer's leg and those electrical signals received from the brain were translated into movement by the exoskeleton.
"The (artificial) muscles are pneumatic. When the computer gets the electrical signal from the (wearer's) muscle, it increases the air pressure into the artificial muscle on the brace," Ferris said. "Essentially the artificial muscle contracts with the person's muscle."
Although this technology has the potential of turning into something along the lines of Gundam Wing, this technology could easily be used for future astronauts not only in space, but also on the Moon and Mars. Exoskeletons could enable humans to easily mine planets, moons and asteroids, not to mention pilot a star ship by mere thought.
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