DailyDirt: Artificial And Augmented Senses

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Mon, Sep 19th 2011 5:00pm — Michael Ho

A few years ago, Oscar Pistorius was denied participation in the Olympics because his prosthetic carbon-fiber legs were deemed an unfair advantage. As technology improves, it's possible to design artificial body parts that could be superior to the natural ones. So it may only be a matter of time before everyone is wearing gear that improves their natural abilities. Here are just a few examples of projects that could develop better senses.

A handheld sonar device could help the blind navigate better than a simple cane. This open source prototype only costs about $65 to construct (not including your labor). [url]
Soldiers could find their way around unfamiliar territory with GPS directions transmitted through a haptic belt. Users don't need to look at a GPS screen or hold anything else in their hands. [url]
If you've been to a few too many loud concerts, more advanced hearing aids could be useful for you someday. As signal processing hardware gets smaller and cheaper, hearing aids are bound to improve a bit -- but the ear-brain interface is a tricky loop to insert technology into. [url]
To discover more interesting tech-related content, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Filed Under: blind, hearing aids, oscar pistorius, sonar, ui, visually impaired

11 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2011 @ 5:36pm

"This open source prototype only costs about $65 to construct (not including your labor)."

Nice ... yet another advancement demonstrating that innovation happens without patents.
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- Michael Ho (profile), 19 Sep 2011 @ 5:49pm
  
  Re:
  it'll be cool if these sonar gloves actually become widely used -- by both blind and sighted people.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 19 Sep 2011 @ 7:26pm
    
    Re: Re:
    I wasn't sure about it till i read all the way through. Be cool to build into shoes. Could use the downward pressure to charge the battery.
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Pixelation, 19 Sep 2011 @ 8:11pm

"Soldiers could find their way around unfamiliar territory with GPS directions transmitted through a haptic belt. Users don't need to look at a GPS screen or hold anything else in their hands."

Anyone else think this would be great tech for pimps?
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- Valkor, 21 Sep 2011 @ 6:31am
  
  Re:
  GPS: Turn right now.
  
  Michael Scott: The computer knows!
  
  {Splash}
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I-Blz, 19 Sep 2011 @ 8:29pm

What.
No Deus Ex references yet? For shame, guys, for shame.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Sep 2011 @ 6:44am

"What's best is a belt around the torso with eight tactors signifying the eight cardinal directions," says Linda Elliott, a psychologist"

Brilliant, she got her money's worth out of her education. Besides the four cardinal directions, I assume she refers to the 4 intercardinal or ordinal directions.
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The Logician (profile), 20 Sep 2011 @ 6:45am

I have to wonder, then, how long it will be before simple augmentation gives way to the pursuit of perfection of the species? Where augmented and enhanced humans are considered superior to unaltered ones? That is the sort of thinking and process by which Khan Singh came to be. I should hope no one like him arises, but humans have the unerring tendency to ignore the lessons brought before them.
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- Michael Ho (profile), 20 Sep 2011 @ 11:09am
  
  Re:
  If plastic surgery is included in "augmentation" -- then we're almost already there, Logician....
  
  http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16134581.html
  Survey shows 77 pct of S.Korean women favor cosmetic surgery...
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  - The Logician (profile), 20 Sep 2011 @ 5:52pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Fascinating...
    
    At least it has not yet gone as far as genetic engineering and enhancement. Unfortunately, however, I do not think it unlikely that some will seek to tread that path. We do not need a real-life Khan to make things worse than they already are.
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Ben, 20 Sep 2011 @ 9:25am

Max Barry wrote a book about this, just came out "Machine Man". Its about a guy who gets a little... excessive, when it comes to body part upgrades. Lets just say as cool as being able to jump off a skyscraper and keep on going when running away from security would be, it takes some major "upgrading".
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