Dean Kamen: Segways Etc.

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, has now invented a new prosthetic arm that ways just as much as a real arm, and essentially functions exactly like a real arm. Here is a short video obtained from Yahoo.



There are some things I think are funny about this video. For one, the interviewer uses the phrase, "Modern-Day Willy Wonka". Dumb. The Segway is probably the most glorified useless invention ever. It rolls, like other things you can ride with wheels, except eliminates any effort whatsoever on your part. You lean in your preferred direction, and go there. In other news, chronic obesity in the United States is still a mysterious epidemic. When will we solve that problem?

I also like that the "government" knocked on his door and said, "Hey, were are losing a lot people's arms and if you could fix that, that'd be grrreaaaat." They do not want to stop what they are doing to lose those arms, so it has be fixed this way. Its kind of like saying, "I like swimming in the pool but I don't like getting wet, so if you could just invent something to keep me from getting so wet and I can keep swimming in the pool... thanks. I am not about to stop swimming to not get wet..."

It is good to see Kamen redeem himself by creating something purposefully functional. Arms are good. How well could you play guitar with one of those things. Someday our only virtuosos will be cyborgs.