Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Sound familiar?

Just more of the same. When are we going to meet in the middle? People are forced to buy prosthetics off E-bay in the United States? What's it gonna be? Mortgage the house or go to E-bay for a black market prosthetic?

I also saw a headline today that read, "Will amputees soon have access to robotic limbs that give them virtually superhuman physcial abilities?!" Duh. NO. Not when we can't even access 10 year old technology. Plus, if ignorant reporters who don't have a clue how prosthetics compare to a real limb keep putting these kinds of articles out there, the insurance companies will continue to look at anything even moderately "advanced" as something deluxe and "superhuman." Hey, give me "close-to-human" first. Give me a good socket that fits. Here's what I can do with my "superhuman robotic limb." Stand up, sit down, walk well on a perfectly flat surface, step backwards, sideways, carry heavy objects without the knee collapsing and falling down. Walk pretty well on rough surface, cycle, walk at various speeds and walk up and down inclines. Here's what I can't do: Sit on a bar stool, sit with both feet touching the floor, jog or run, feel my foot, ride with the C-leg on, get near water with the C-leg on. Doesn't sound very "superhuman" to me.

Anyway, back to today's video. This is the best technology available and this is one plucky lady. She's a "superhuman" but not because of her prosthesis.