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Saturday, January 26, 2008 | 12:50pm
Bluetooth Technology Helps Marine Double Amputee to walk
Success Story
Yesterday I brought you the newest innovations in cellular phone technology and today I bring you the newest in prosthetic science. When I was in high school I aspired to be a biomedical engineer, but after scanning my college classmates one day and realizing that this sorry bunch of saps represented the make up of my future collegues so I bolted for the j. school.
However prior to my departure, my goal was always to construct a better prosthetic limb as diabetes had claimed one of my grandmother’s legs leading to her eventual death and a horrific accident also left my cousin a double amputee.
Apparently Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Bleill didn’t need my help. He is able to walk today thanks to Bluetooth technology. He lost both his legs above the knees when a bomb exploded under his Humvee while on patrol in Iraq back in 2006. Computer chips in each leg send a Bluetooth signal to motors in the artificial joints so the knees and ankles move in a coordination. The Bluetooth device strapped to each leg tells the other leg what it’s doing allowing the legs to “mimic each other, so for stride length, for amount of force coming up, going uphill, downhill and such, they can vary speed and then to stop them again.” Because of this technology and it’s links to the motors he can walk longer before he tires. CNN has more.
FILED IN Need to Know, News, Technology
Aiyo thats whats up….it just sounds awfully close to a cyborg though….then the matrix.
Tragedy is also the mother of invention. Unfortunate that he went through the experience but it’s great that he has the ability to walk again.
thats wzup