Man and Machine: Some Considerations

Damian Gordon

Epilepsy Foundation's Web site

On March 28, 2008, hackers bombarded the Epilepsy Foundation's Web site with hundreds of pictures and links to rapidly flashing images.

The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images.

People with photosensitive epilepsy can get seizures when they're exposed to flickering images.

Epilepsy Foundation's Web site

The attack happened when hackers exploited a security hole in the foundation's publishing software that allowed them to quickly make numerous posts and overwhelm the site's support forums.

Within the hackers' posts were small flashing pictures and links - masquerading as helpful - to pages that exploded with kaleidoscopic images pulsating with different colours.

"They were out to create seizures," said Ken Lowenberg, senior director of Web and print publishing for the foundation.

Robotic Surgery

In 2007 a surgical robot’s arm broke off inside a patient’s body during a procedure for prostate cancer. The fracture was so bad that the urologists had to enlarge the wound to get the broken instrument out.

In this case, the maker of the da Vinci surgical robot, a company called Intuitive Surgical that’s based out of Sunnyvale, California were blamed. Bloomberg Businessweek says 10 product liability lawsuits have been filed against da Vinci's makers in the past 14 months.

Robotic Surgery

The lawsuits, which the firm is defending, make for grisly reading — they allege, variously, that da Vinci has caused liver and spleen punctures during heart surgery, rectal damage during a prostate operation, and a vaginal hernia after a hysterectomy.

There are also a number of cases of unintended burns from the robot's cauterising tools.

Google Glass

Google Glass is a controversial wearable computer with a head-mounted display (HMD) that is being developed by Google.

Google Glass

Concerns have been raised by various sources regarding the intrusion of privacy, and the etiquette and ethics of using the device in public and recording people without their permission.

Privacy advocates are concerned that people wearing such eyewear may be able to identify strangers in public using facial recognition, or surreptitiously record and broadcast private conversations.

Fujitsu DigInfo

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a next generation user interface which can accurately detect the users finger and what it is touching, creating an interactive touchscreen-like system, using objects in the real word.

Fujitsu DigInfo

The system is designed not to react when you make ordinary motions on a table. It can be operated when you point with one finger. What this means is, the system serves as an interface combining analog operations and digital devices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2l0qklSzks

Wireless Brain Interface

Brown University researchers have developed a fully implantable and rechargeable wireless brain sensor capable of transmitting neural data to an external receiver. The system, which has performed remarkably well in monkeys and pigs for over a year, could eventually allow humans to control external devices with their thoughts.

Wireless Brain Interface

They achieved this by using an embedded medical grade rechargeable Li-ion battery that can last for seven hours of continuous operation between recharges. It takes about two hours to refuel, with the incoming energy arriving from an inductive transcutaneous wireless power link at 2 MHz. Amazingly, the entire thing only requires 100 milliwatts of power to function.

Wireless Brain Interface

Non-human prosthetics

Naki’o, a mixed-breed dog from Nebraska, is the world's first dog ever to be given prosthetic replacements for all four paws.

As a puppy, Naki’o was abandoned in the cellar of a foreclosed home, and he lost all four paws and the tip of his tail to frostbite.

Fortunately, he was discovered and adopted by veterinarian assistant Christie Pace of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Non-human prosthetics

Thanks to her, the wounds healed into stumps. Though the lack of his paws was not much of a hurdle for the puppy, trouble began when he grew bigger and Naki’o found himself unable to support his own weight with his stumps.

Non-human prosthetics

Pace raised money by setting up a fundraiser, then contacted OrthoPets – a US company that specializes in customizing artificial limbs and orthotic braces for animals – to create prosthetics for Naki’o. When they saw the dog, however, the animal hospital decided to treat him for free.

Non-human prosthetics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z_LZWk34xI