human-trials-ahead-for-darpas-mind-controlled-artificial-arm

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原地址：http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/ ... led-artificial-arm/

Human Trials Next for Darpa’s Mind-Controlled Artificial Arm

By Katie Drummond


Pentagon-backed scientists are getting ready to test thought-controlled prosthetic arms on human subjects, by rewiring their brains to fully integrate the artificial limbs.
Already in recent years, we’ve seen very lifelike artificial arms, monkeys nibbling bananas with mind-controlled robotic limbs and even humans whose muscle fibers have been wired to prosthetic devices. But this is the first time human brains will be opened up, implanted with a neural interface and then used to operate an artificial limb.
It’s a giant step that’ll transform the devices, which were little more than hooks and cables only 50 years ago. And the progress is courtesy of Darpa, the Pentagon’s far-out R&D agency, who’ve been sponsoring brain-controlled replacement limbs as part of their Revolutionizing Prosthetics Program.

A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins, behind much of Darpa’s prosthetic progress thus far, have received a $34.5 million contract from the agency to manage the next stages of the project. Researchers will test the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) on a human. The test subject’s thoughts will control the arm, which “offers 22 degrees of motion, including independent movement of each finger,” provides feedback that essentially restores a sense of touch, and weighs around 9 pounds. That’s about the same weight as a human arm.


The prosthetic will rely on micro-arrays, implanted into the brain, that record signals and transmit them to the device. It’s a similar design to that of the freaky monkey mind-control experiments, which have been ongoing at the University of Pittsburgh since at least 2004.
Within two years, Johns Hopkins scientists plan to test the prosthetic in five patients. And those researchers, alongside a Darpa-funded consortium from Caltech, University of Pittsburgh, University of Utah and the University of Chicago, also hope to expand prosthetic abilities to incorporate pressure and touch.
“The goal is to enable the user to more effectively control movements to perform everyday tasks, such as picking up and holding a cup of coffee,” Michael McLoughlin, the project’s program manager, says.
In other words, prosthetic arms that are remarkably similar to the real thing. But the long-term caliber of the MPL arm remains an open question. Just three months ago, Darpa launched a new program to overcome several problems with neuro-prosthetic models — most notably, the two-year lifespan of those implanted neural recording devices.

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中文：

来自 东西网：http://www.dongxi.net/b01tt

“五角大楼”(美国国防部)的科学家们已经准备好进行对意念控制机械臂的人身试验。他们将用电线把人脑与假肢完全结为一体。

近几年来，我们已经看到猿猴用意念控制机械臂来吃香蕉。这种机械臂如真的一般。我们也看到人类肌肉通过电线被组合到假肢上。但这次，也是首次的把人脑打开，把神经接触面种植在人脑里，然后让人脑自己控制假肢。

与50年老的铁钩与粗电线式的假肢相比的话，这次的试验是很大的转变与跃进。简称为“达佩” (DARPA)的机构是这一项“人脑控制假肢”试验的赞助人。此试验被规划在“革命性假肢计划”之下。“达佩”是“美国国防高级研究计划署”的简称(注1)。

一组来自约翰·斯霍普金斯医院的科学家是此计划的主要研究者。他们已经获得“达佩”的3千4百50万美元的赞助金用来进行下一阶段的试验。他们将会把模块化(简称MPL)假肢安装在人体上。病人可以用脑控制自己的的机械臂使它运转22度、每一个手指独立运作、得到感觉上的反应、恢复触觉与举起9磅重量。人手臂重量大约9磅。

这种新型假肢将依赖种植在人脑里的微阵列  -- 纪录与发送进出假肢的信号。它的设计接近匹兹堡大学自从2004年来的怪异试验 -- 猴脑控制试验。(注2)

在两年内，约翰·斯霍普金斯医院将把新型假肢安装在5位病人身上。除了约翰·斯霍普金斯医院的研究者之外，“达佩”与加州理工学院、匹兹堡大学、犹他州大学与芝加哥大学也成立财团，希望扩张压力与触觉方面的研究。

“我们的目标是让用者能够有效地控制他们的日常行动，好比拿起和握住一杯咖啡，”此计划经理人迈克尔·迈克罗富林说。

换句话说，近乎神奇的假肢已经像真的了。“达佩”目前的长远计划是细心调节模块(MPL)。三个月以前，“达佩”又开始了一个为期两年的新计划 -- 克服一些神经假肢模型的难题，特别是种植在人脑里与人体上的设备。



注1．“达佩”DARPA “美国国防高级研究计划署”的全名为 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency。“达佩”应1958年苏联人造卫星Sputnik而成立。

“达佩”是美国国防部的科研主力，财力雄厚，在美国学术界无孔不入。“达佩”本身不从事研究，但它赞助与购买美国各校的研究与研究成果。除了科技之外，“达佩”对物理、生化、心理学、战略、国际关系与一切对战争有利的技术均感兴趣。

“达佩”在美国各名校的理工学院旁边建造比理工学院更大、更新与设备更好的大楼。里面的教授与研究生全部为“达佩”工作。

“达佩”所产生的民间用品全属附带性质。

十年前左右，“达佩”向美国主流媒体公开“意念控制飞机”的录影带片断，轰动全球。“意念控制飞机”是不用肢体而用驾驶员的意念飞行。

注2．匹兹堡大学在2004年首先作出用猴脑来控制假肢的试验。