The worker in the robot suit: New industrial orders reignite exoskeleton interest

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It’s been a technology without a clear customer for about a decade, but wearable robotic suits are finally finding a market in legacy manufacturing and construction.

Robotic exoskeletons are back in the news after Ford ordered 75 robotic suits from Ekso Bionics, as reported by my colleague.

The relatively small number of orders belies the significance of this moment for a fantastically advanced set of technologies that have been searching for a viable market for over a decade now. Wearable robots that augment human strength have attracted big investment money, but the use case has been harder to pinpoint.

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Blind man regains partial sight thanks to bionic eye

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Larry Hester is the 7th person in the U.S. to have a bionic eye implanted.

Thanks to bionic eye technology, people diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease are seeing a new future. And Larry Hester is the seventh person in the U.S. to have a so-called bionic eye – an Argus II Retinal Prosthesis Device — implanted. It allows him to see for the first time in 33 years. (Videos)

 

 

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Interactive Bionic Man features 14 novel biotechnologies

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NIBIB Bionic Man

The “NIBIB Bionic Man” is an interactive Web tool that showcases cutting-edge research in biotechnology that has recently been launched by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The bionic man features 14 technologies currently being developed by NIBIB-supported researchers.

 

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Bionic pancreas shows promise in managing diabetes

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The bionic pancreas

In 2000, Ed Damiano’s son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Damiano’s son was 11 months old.The biomedical engineer, decided to create a device that would help his child and millions of others better manage their disease. He set a goal of having it ready by the time his son went to college.

 

 

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11 ways technology may soon grant you superhuman powers

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Human flight

As a child, everyone had a favorite superhuman power – flying, invisibility, comic book character strength and agility. Some of us secretly hoped to cultivate psychic powers like telekinesis, precognition, mind reading, etc., even as teens and young adults.

 

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Bionic plants use nanotechnology to boost photosynthesis

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Researchers embedded carbon nanotubes in the chloroplasts of the plants to create “artificial antennae.”

Plants make life possible. Chloroplasts are the tiny organelles with a plant’s leaves. The chloroplasts use incoming sunlight to split water molecules and then knit together the energy-rich carbon and hydrogen compounds found in everything from food to fossil fuels. The leftover “waste” is the oxygen that we and the rest of the animal kingdom depend on to survive and thrive.
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Breakthrough prosthetic hand restores amputee’s sense of touch

Dennis Sørensen smiles confidently with his new robotic hand as he flexes his robotic fingers, and gingerly closes them around a disposable plastic cup. Sørensen is blindfolded but he instantly recognizes what he is touching. Round. Hard. Breakable. Lethargic sensory nerves, rusty and unused since an accident nine years ago, begin to stir.

 

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Bionic Eyesight Could Become Reality with Electronic Contact Lenses

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Contact lenses with built-in electronics and an LED, powered wirelessly by RF.

A new generation of contact lenses built with tiny circuits and LEDs could make bionic eyesight a reality.  Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle have created contact lenses with built-in electronics and an LED, powered wirelessly by RF.

 

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Discover the Hidden Patterns of Tomorrow with Futurist Thomas Frey
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By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.

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