Open Prosthetics in IEEE Spectrum

[Jon Kuniholm]

My article on the tough realities of designing next generation prosthetic arms and the philosophy behind the Open Prosthetics Project is up on IEEE Spectrum online, and will appear in the March issue of the magazine. There are a couple of edits I wasn't thrilled with, but in general I'm pleased.

To quote the sidebar about how everyone can help with OPP:

"While it’s most natural to want to help within your area of expertise, it’s not a requirement. We’ve got challenges like improving the mechanics of a basic body-powered device like the T-Hook or designing the manufacture for one. You can also help with software or circuit-board design for our myoelectric signal processor, the MyOpen. If you’re looking for something soothing, you could quarry some mental rocks by filling in the gaps in our patent database. If you’re a Web designer or programmer, maybe you’d like to help us redesign our Web site to incorporate the functionality of our multiple Web sites into one, develop the true open collaboration hub that we imagine at Open Prosthetics, or help me get Google Friend Connect working. These projects are described on our wiki. You can connect with others on the Open Prosthetics social network. That said, the way to help is probably not to call or e-mail me. We figured out early on that my inbox is a choke point."

In that vein, I'd like to say that recent developments on the site are great! The APRL Hook Project has really taken off, and the video that Darryl did explaining how the hook works and why it is useful is very informative. This project is an example of one that was conceived by and has been driven by OPP members without any help from me, and looks to be moving along nicely.

John Bergmann's LEGO hand project has gotten a bunch of attention from volunteers recently, so look for some updates there in the near future.

The Fundacion Amistad project in Cuba got some help from the Center for International Rehabilitation's Hector Cassanova, who introduced CIR's X-Shaped Pylon leg, and experimented with using the technology for arms. CIR you may remember from Michael Davidson's post on their soda bottle arm, which was featured on Instructables. We're looking forward to helping CIR continue to develop the X-Shaped Pylon as an appropriate technology solution, as well as developing low cost components that can be used with the system and manufactured locally.

Thanks again for all of your work on the project.

Jon Kuniholm

[Jon Kuniholm]

Darryl -

Yes, I was at the end of the 60 Minutes segment, if you didn't blink and miss it.

You raise a valid point, and I'm not necessarily going to defend government policy in this regard. First, I should point out that while $100 million might seem like a lot, it's less than the procurement cost of a single Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), and not even close to the billions of dollars that have been spent on major historical engineering efforts like the Apollo Mission, the Manhattan Project, and, in fact, the R&D on the JSF effort.

That said, it's still a lot of money and more than has been spent on prosthetic arms in history, and more than may ever be spent again. As far as government policy on this issue? There isn't one. Prosthetic research is conducted in the US by DoD, DARPA, NIH, NSF, Commerce (NIST), Education (NIDRR), the VA, and perhaps more that I'm not aware of. No one can tell you right now the scope of all of the prosthetic arm projects out there. There are body-powered research programs too, but these are mostly SBIR-funded, and in this particular area they have an extremely poor record of reaching the market. I'm not sure why companies that have failed to bring these things to market are capable of getting more funding.

In my opinion, it's not worth trying to influence any coherent policy as regards prosthetic arm research, save for a few fundamentals: (1) we need transparency, and I hope that we can develop on OPP a list of current prosthetic grant-holders and track their progress. I hope that such transparency will eventually influence positively the lack of coordination and results; (2) efforts need to be made in the funding mechanisms to secure a future for innovation. Specifically, if the government is going to fund the entire R&D budgets of some of these projects, the products should be required to comply with an open standard (like the SCIP one in development) or at least publish their own, so that components can be made compatible; and (3) open policies in research in general (like open source software) should be encouraged. I have no illusion that this will ever be universal, but I intend to demonstrate the benefits, and I hope that others will join me. If this is an area you are concerned about, I encourage you to call your representatives in Congress and tell them what you think.

Lastly, don't necessarily believe everything you see on TV. These devices are still very experimental, and TV seeks to maximize the entertainment value and "wow factor." Reality is usually a little different, and I sometimes wonder whether anyone will keep getting funding to solve this problem if the media (with researchers' complicity) keep telling everyone it's been solved already.

Jon

[Darryl]

John,
I saw you on 60 minutes, at least I think that was you, and I have a couple of questions: Why is there so much money being spent on new uncharted territory in the world of prostheses? Don't get me wrong. I think we should spend mega money on new technology. However, I am wondering why the 100 million dollar government spending spree did not even include(or maybe it does) upgrading and redesigning already existing mechanical hooks. It is no secret that I love the APRL, but others like the Trautman style hook and want it redesigned and back on the market. I believe that if these hooks can be re-engineered, and made bullet proof they can again be marketable.
I feel that we should parallel the new technology quest with a revamp of old technology. Is there a way to get government funding, or a piece of the DOD's program for upgrading what is already out there?

These new robotics are unbelievable, and I hope they hurry to the market for those who need them. I just don't want the mechanical devices that others rely on, to fall by the wayside amid this wave of technological advances.

If there is any insight you can give, that would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Darryl

[Jon Kuniholm]

I think it goes beyond "not intended for modification of single parts," to something closer to "intended to prevent modification of single parts." I don't necessarily blame them. Monopolistic behavior is absolutely rational, but tends not to serve society very well.

[Wolf Schweitzer]

I just dug out some halfways recent Otto Bock Michelangelo hand demos and found two videos (in Spanish). Looks like that Axon bus may be part of a system that is not intended for modification of single parts anyway? At any rate, interesting developments, but way to go.

[Jon Kuniholm]

I agree. Indeed, all of the nearly $100 million behind the DARPA arms, and the further 10s of millions that will be spent on clinical trials will all come from the military or VA, not to mention almost all of the first purchases for any device that reaches the market. As I've said before, the government is the only game in town when it comes to R&D in prosthetic arms, and we (amputees and the American people) need to make sure that we're getting out money's worth.

[Tim Leonard]

I enjoyed the article. I was disappointed to hear that Otto Bock will "use a proprietary and encrypted digital communication standard, called the Axon bus, for its new systems." If a large part of their market for prosthetics is paid for the VA (or by insurance companies), it may be possible to pressure them into using open interfaces by limiting insurance to pay only for prosthetics with open interfaces.

[Daniel Paulsen]

That is a fabulous article. It should be required reading for anyone who wants to make a difference in the prosthetics industry. I think your idea of harnessing other industries such as the video game industry is a brilliant idea.