In the development of prosthetics, leather gave way to metal, which was heavy and difficult to use. Metal was replaced by plastic and later on, durable lightweight plastic became the standard material used. There is no single answer to what prosthetics will be like in the future because in ten or twenty years, the progression of science and technology will allow doctors to upgrade various aspects of prosthetics. The future looks bright for the amputee, as new techniques and technology is currently being tested to make life more convenient and comfortable for the patient.
One of the major changes to look out for is prosthetics that are directly attached to the bone. This new development will allow upper-extremity amputees to feel whether the object they are touching is hot or cold, soft or rough. They will also have better grip on objects since onboard computer systems can automatically adjust grip force through sensors in the fingertips. Lower-extremity amputees can benefit from this technology as well. Electrodes will be placed on the bottom of prosthetic feet so the patient can feel whether their foot is flat on the floor, flexed, or on tiptoe. Even the knees will have onboard computers that automatically adjust stability and stance. The combination of the two makes falling due to loss of balance a thing of the past.
Aside from regaining their sense of touch, direct endoskeleton attachment eliminates the worries that come with fitting issues. And since the prosthetics will become part of the skeletal structure, the patient will be freed from the weight restrictions of modern-day prosthetics, making movement more natural and easy. It will be as if the amputee has never lost a limb.
In the advancement of prosthetics, doctors and researchers should not just limit their development on cutting-edge technology. Mundane but vital aspects such as the fit and comfort need to be considered as well, particularly among the elderly. It is a common assumption that prostheses for the elderly need not be complicated; however, the elderly are more delicate patients than athletes and children, and improved prosthetics might help decrease occurrences of skin breakdown, allergy, and infection. Prosthetics in the future will be using materials from other fields, like thermal cooling foams and resilient, custom cushioning gels. Other equipment such as flexible batteries, force-sensing films, and conducting materials will make previously thought of designs and concepts possible.
But all these new developments will not survive financially if they are not cost-effective. The production of prosthetics is affected by the basic principles of business—the manufacturers are driven what the public wants and is willing to pay. This is why any new technology in the market must be affordable by the average person. Researchers are currently working on how the new developments can reduce costs either directly or through quality-of-life analysis. If this goes well, then amputees from all walks of life will more or less be able to afford prosthetics.
The Science of Darth Vader
All the possible outcomes of research and development on prosthetics can be seen in the Star Wars character, Darth Vader. The origin of Darth Vader’s injuries is unknown but the fact of the matter is these injuries made him half-man, half-machine. In the April 25, 1999 issue of Time magazine, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, made a comment on Darth Vader’s general condition: “Darth Vader was half machine, half man, and that’s where he lost a lot of his humanity. He has mechanical legs. He has mechanical arms. He’s hooked up to a breathing machine.” Evidence of this is seen in the movie The Empire Strikes Back. A flash of lightning that hit Darth Vader caused some parts of his skeleton to glow through his body and thick armor, allowing us to see which parts of his body are artificial.
A close view of Darth Vader’s neck and skull flashing through his helmet shows that he has suffered serious spinal injury in the neck area. The sharp-edged regularity in the first few vertebrae of his spine suggests that they could be cybernetic bone replacements. Damage to the first few vertebrae results in neck-to-toe paralysis, which explains his immobility after the lightning damaged his cybernetic systems. Without the help of his cybernetic parts, Darth Vader is no longer the imposing villain we all know; instead, he becomes a helpless quadriplegic. Actor Christopher Reeves suffers from a similar condition, but unlike Darth Vader, his neck is fused into place. Full neck movement is a huge benefit of the replacement of his damaged bones.
Another consequence of an injury to the first three bones of the spinal cord is that leaves a person incapable of breathing without a respirator since the connection between the lungs and medulla oblongata is severed. Darth Vader uses a unique breath-mask in order to survive. This places the muscles responsible for breathing under cybernetic control and allows the villain to continue doing his daily tasks without much trouble.
Darth Vader’s right hand is bionic, since his right arm got cut off in between his shoulder and elbow in a vicious duel in his youth. When Luke Skywalker flew into a rage, he cut off Darth Vader’s right hand. A shot of this shows that that his right hand and wrist is entirely cybernetic. What is interesting is that he felt pain when his mechanical hand got cut off, but perhaps not as much pain as when his real arm got severed from his body.
Sources:
http://www.fillauer.com/education/index.html
http://www.enctoday.com
