(CNN) -- Scientists have trained a group of monkeys to feed themselves marshmallows using a robot arm controlled by sensors implanted in their brains, a feat that could one day help paralyzed people operate prosthetic limbs on their own, according to a study out Thursday.Lead researcher Andrew Schwartz of the University of Pittsburgh said he believes it won't be long before the technology is tested in humans, although he predicts it will be longer before the devices are used in actual patients with disabilities.

"I think we'll be doing this on an experimental basis in two years," said Schwartz, professor of neurobiology at the university's School of Medicine.

The results were appeared in the journal Nature's online edition on Thursday. The arm is controlled by a network of tiny electrodes called a brain-machine interface, implanted into the motor cortex of the monkeys' brains -- the region that controls movement.

It picks up the signals of brain cells as they generate commands to move and converts those into directional signals for the robotic arm, which the monkeys eventually used as a surrogate for their own.

The researchers report that one monkey achieved a success rate of 78 percent over 13 days of trials, while a second monkey completed its tasks with the arm in 61 percent of tests conducted over two days. They said the animals also were able to direct the arm around obstacles to ensure safe delivery of the food, which included small items such as grapes and marshmallows.

The ability of the monkeys to interact with the robotic arm and objects in the work space embodies a "multi-degree-of-freedom" that "paves the way towards the development of dexterous prosthetic devices that could ultimately achieve arm and hand function at a near natural level," according to the Nature article.

"I'm most excited by the chance to study many neurons at the same time, so we can see how they work together as a network," Schwartz told CNN. The research provides the opportunity to consider interactions among neurons, he added. "Understanding the brain at a more fundamental level, I think, will result in all sorts of chances to treat a wide range of brain diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's", according to the professor.

The researchers initially trained two monkeys to use a joystick to manipulate the arm. Then, the monkeys' arms were restrained by placing them in tubes, and the robotic arm was switched over to brain control so the monkeys could translate their wishes into commands.

In a video, a macaque monkey uses the robotic arm to seize pieces of marshmallow off a thin rod positioned at various locations. The arm is designed to move realistically, with a range of shoulder movements -- an elbow that moves in just one direction and a simple claw grip to simulate a hand.

Brain interfaces are not particularly new -- human versions have been around for several years. But this is the first time a brain-machine interface has been used to fulfill a useful function, such as allowing monkeys to feed themselves.

"Up until now, almost all demonstrations (of the technology) have been in a virtual world," Schwartz said. Successfully developing these brain implants for humans will require more resilient, long-lasting electrodes.

Admission and parking (with a validated ticket) are free when you pre-register at http://www.independenceexpo.org/. Register by June 15 and you will receive 2 free gifts worth up to $20.00 when you attend, along with a chance to win free door prize giveaways each day that are worth over $3,500.

Over 100 vendors will exhibit the latest products and services that can help improve the life of all individuals with disabilities. In addition, there are 11 life-enhancing workshops that you can attend.

The conference is hosted by the United Spinal Association, a non-profit organization that has been fighting for the rights of all Americans with disabilities for over 60 years.

The Expo will be held at the Gaylord Hotel in Orlando, Florida on August 9 & 10. Please visit http://www.independenceexpo.org/ to register or for more information. I hope you can attend and look forward to seeing you.

Here's the trailer

This is a snippet from a review of the film that was reviewed at Sundance - "How's this for a premise? A young reporter who lost the use of his legs in a childhood car accident is asked to look into a group of handicap "wannabes" before he falls in love with a physically-abled woman who, yep, desperately wants to be a paraplegic. Sounds pretty outlandish, doesn't it? But the truth is that there ARE people out there who'd prefer to be wheelchair-bound -- as "crazy" as that might sound to you and me. Strange but true, folks, and Carlos Brooks' oddly illuminating Quid Pro Quo does an appreciably good job of delving into some rather arcane issues."

I'm thinking this movie is like a Hostel 2 for gimps. If you want to read the rest of the review it's on Cinematical. As usual in my experience IMDB has much better information and another great review from someone that saw it on Sundance's closing night, "because all the other films were sold out. The film, which took writer/director Carlos Brookes 7 years to make is due for a June, Friday the 13th release.

I live in Central Florida and I am definitely looking forward to summer and all the killer things that summer brings. Heat is one, well the only thing I'm not looking forward to. Being a quad and not sweating really puts a limit on how much time I can be out. As anyone living with SCI, MS or any other disability that has problems regulating their body heat should check back here often because I have talked to the owners and reps from a few of the companies that make cooling vests.

There are so many different types of vests I looked for the ones that had the smallest profile while still doing it's job. I'm waiting for the first of the vests to come right now. The vest I am waiting on now is made by a Swiss company, they say the vest works similarly to evaporative cooling, using a variety of layers of different materials, and claims that they have done scientific research and the results of the study showed that the hotter it was the cooler the area covered by the vest would be.

The tests showed that at 75f the covered area was 64f, at 86f the covered area was 64f! That's more like it. It's already over 90f in the afternoon and if it works exponentially that well I can't wait to see when it hits 100f

Another really great feature of this vest is that it rquires no pre-freezing or ice-packs to do it's job, just a quick soak in water and it's supposed to work for up to 48 hours.

As soon as I get it I will set it to work and let all of you know what the deal is!

Rollingpix

I'm jumping through hoops with VR but it really is for the best. There is so many things I needed to learn and do properly. I am just wholly occupied by the proper establishment of a business, there are so many different parts of ownership that require managing.

Up to this time with VR i had no serious working with ANY management, oversight or funding sources. It was just me and my ideas that I worked on alone, 2 or 3 years alone until I started really applying the responsibilty side of a business owner.

That's the whole cause of not putting a meaningful update on any of my blogs, myspace...etc. I have to do all the doc's, contracts, manuals, protocols and everything else that owner/operator business's need to start and run properly.

Awesome news in my personal life also! No later than mid-April 2009 I will be a dual Canadian/American citizen...... Just because I was born in the first generation to a Canadian citizen in another country!

It's a brave new world for me.......Eh? Aye?

Story and photo: Stephen Thompson at the Tampa Tribune

SEMINOLE - Sean Fitzgibbon was born without a fibula in his right leg, and his right foot was deformed, too.

So on his third birthday, the leg was amputated at the knee.

Fitzgibbon, now a 34-year-old husband and father of two, has learned to cope. He also learned that he didn't want his disability to squelch his athleticism. And he became a champion among his peers in surfing and kayaking.

Now Fitzgibbon and three of his cohorts want to impart his message of hope and perseverance to all of those who have lost a limb, including troops returning from Iraq.

To that end, they are embarking on a 220-mile kayak trip on May 12 to circle the Florida Keys. Thirteen days have been set aside for the voyage, but Fitzgibbon and his friends hope to do it in eight to 10 days.

In addition to raising awareness, the four hope to raise money for Extremity Games, an annual extreme amateur sports competition for people who have a limb loss or disability. This year's contests will be held in Michigan from July 24 through 26

Fitzgibbon loves the concept of the Extremity Games because it encourages people who often feel alone and isolated to come together and show how skillful they've become in their various sports.

"We want to bring a message to amputees: Love life; don't be a victim of the amputation," the Seminole man said.

That call especially needs to be heard by veterans returning from Iraq without an arm or a leg, he said.

Fitzgibbon is more than aware that some amputees can't afford the help they need. As a full-time prosthetics technician at St. Petersburg Limb & Brace, he often comes across amputees whose health insurance doesn't cover the full cost of a prosthetic device.

The name of the quartet taking the kayak trip is Team Topahonu. "Topahonu" means "great sea turtle" in Hawaiian. Fitzgibbon earned the nickname there as a surfer because turtles are known to be able to swim after they lose a flipper.

The other members of the team are Jeff Fabiszewski, a Dunedin man whose wife has paralysis of her left side; David Tranor, an Orlando outdoorsman who has helped the disabled with sports such as snow skiing; and Brian Doehleman, a Largo war veteran whose brother owns Osprey Bay Outdoors, a kayaking shop in Clearwater.

In my continuing series on my favorite topic there was an article I came across that was right up my alley.

Researchers at Osaka University are stepping up efforts to develop robotic body parts controlled by thought, by placing electrode sheets directly on the surface of the brain. Led by Osaka University Medical School neurosurgery professor Toshiki Yoshimine, the research marks Japan’s first foray into invasive (i.e. requiring open-skull surgery) brain-machine interface research on human test subjects. The aim of the research is to develop real-time mind-controlled robotic limbs for the disabled, according to an announcement made at an April 16 symposium in Aichi prefecture.

Although brain waves can be measured from outside the scalp, a stronger, more accurate signal can be obtained by placing sensors directly on the brain — but that requires open-skull surgery, making it more difficult to recruit volunteer test subjects.

The researchers, who have filed a license application with the Osaka University Hospital ethics board, are working to enlist willing subjects already scheduled to have brain electrodes implanted for the purpose of monitoring epilepsy or other conditions. The procedure, which does not involve puncturing the cortex, places an electrode sheet at the central sulcus, a fold across the center of the brain near the primary motor cortex (which is responsible for planning and executing movements).

To date, the researchers have worked with four test subjects to record brain wave activity generated as they move their arms, elbows and fingers. Working with Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), the researchers have developed a method for analyzing the brain waves to determine the subject’s intended activity to an accuracy of greater than 80%. The next step is to use the data to control robot arms developed by the University of Tokyo’s Department of Precision Engineering.

[Source: Asahi

This is really great technology, I wonder what the articulation limits on it are. If your as interested in this stuff as I am I have written some other artricles on this subject. Stem cells vs. Cyborgs part 1, Part II .

Photo property of US Paralympics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Paralympian Jeff Skiba (Chulpa Vista, Calif./Sammamish, Wash.), 23, a below- the-knee amputee, set a new unofficial men’s high jump world record (men’s F44 classification) and became the first amputee in history to clear the seven foot mark at the 2008 Asuza Pacific Invitational in Los Angeles, Calif.

“The seven foot barrier is one of those magical markers like the four-minute mile that represents a very select ‘club’ of incredible athletes,” said Troy Engle, Associate Director and Head Coach, Paralympic Track and Field. “The fact that Jeff has joined that elite group, as a Paralympian, I can only describe as Beamon-esque – it is a feat of athlete prowess the likes of which has rarely been seen!”

In his second attempt, with both the crowd and his competitors rooting for him, Skiba cleared 2.15 meters (7 feet ½ inch) beating his previous world record of 2.10 meters (6 feet 10 ¾ inches).

“It has been my goal for the past few years to become the first amputee to clear the seven foot mark,” said Skiba “It felt great to see years of hard work pay off.”

The height is an unofficial Paralympic world record because the Asuza Invitational was not an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) sanctioned meet. Skiba will try repeating his feat and qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, June 12 – 15, at the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Trials – Track & Field, held at Arizona State University, Tempe Ariz.