Man's bionic arm provides hope for soldier amputees (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

DAYTON, Tennessee (AP) -- Jesse Sullivan has two prosthetic arms, but he can climb a ladder at his house and roll on a fresh coat of paint. He's also good with a weed-whacker, bending his elbow and rotating his forearm to guide the machine.
***
The motions are coordinated and smooth because his left arm is a bionic device controlled by his brain. He thinks, "Close hand," and electrical signals sent through surgically re-routed nerves make it happen.

Doctors describe Sullivan as the first amputee with a thought-controlled artificial arm.
***
Although work that created Sullivan's arm preceded the research by DARPA, he said he's proud to test a type of bionic arm that soldiers could someday use. "Those guys are heroes in my book," he said, "and they should have the best there is."
***
Sullivan's bionic arm represents an advance over typical artificial arms, like the right-arm prosthesis he uses, which has a hook and operates with sequential motions. There is no perceivable delay in the motions of Sullivan's flesh-colored, plastic-like left arm. Until now, it has been nearly impossible to recreate the subtle and complex motion of a human arm.
***
more (including video): http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/09/14/bionic.arm.ap/index.html

[soothsayer]

1. Kids!!! Join the Army and get cool bionic limbs!

[eppur_se_muova]

2. "We build men" -- a 70's poster, using the Army's slogan

with a figure of a man sketched out in artificial parts.

[shadowknows69]

3. Best scene in an arguably bad movie

Military recruiter in "Starship Troopers"

Shaking the hand of new recruit with his prosthetic hand and moving to reveal he is a double leg amputee as well.
"The mobile infantry made me the man I am today"

[The2ndWheel]

4. I really can't get enough of DARPA

It's stuff like this that leads me to ask

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2133412&mesg_id=2133412

Ahhh DARPA. I hope you never die.

[Generic Other]

5. Like the VA will PAY for such innovative technology

They would have amputees go back to prosthetic hooks and wooden stumps!