Closing the Loop: Prosthetics with Touch Sense

Closing the Loop: Prosthetics with Touch Sense

For the average person, the loss of a hand or arm can be an enormous physical and emotional challenge. Unfortunately, our military forces have to deal with this problem far too often. For this reason, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) spends a lot...
Wireless Power Activates LED Implants in Mice

Wireless Power Activates LED Implants in Mice

The vocabulary word for today is “optogenetics.” It refers to a process that uses light to control living neurons that are light-sensitive. The neurons contain photosensitive proteins, either through selective breeding or through the use of viruses that...
Are You Ready for a Mood Watch?

Are You Ready for a Mood Watch?

If you are of a certain age, you may remember “mood rings.” These devices had heat-sensitive liquid crystal layers that would change color, with the idea being that your skin temperature would reflect your mood. A group named Team Turquoise has taken a...
Headband to Help Parkinson’s Patients [video]

Headband to Help Parkinson’s Patients [video]

Parkinson’s is an incurable degenerative disease of the nervous system. More than 1 million patients in the U.S. are affected by the disease, and more than 7 million worldwide. Symptoms include tremors, muscle stiffness, and slowed movement. Some prescription...
Drug-Free Pain Relief Available [video]

Drug-Free Pain Relief Available [video]

According to some sources, as many as 100 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain. This can be treated in a variety of ways, including medication, but these treatments are not always effective. NeuroMetrix is a spin-off from the Harvard-MIT Division of...