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DECEMBER 3, 2021
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Exasperating Day A NEW FRONTIER PART 2
It was a most exasperating week for Bodacious Bonnie as she told Flatwoods Frankie. I am truly a Bionic Woman now, with twin stainless steel knee replacements, along with a 5-inch steel plate and 7 screws in my busted right elbow. If I try flying commercial, I’ll set off metal detectors in three lines at once. Disaster-clad security goons will come running, stun guns and battle axes at the ready. Local cops will go to Def-Con 4. Distress calls to Washington might awaken Biden long enough for him to appoint a committee to figure a way to blame Trump. On the other hand, maybe Methuselah I ain’t. Trump really did plan it all before But I’m gaining he left office. We’ll never know for sure. on him. But I had bigger problems at home recovering from my latest orthopedic misadventure. My Diet Dr. Pepper levels felt dangerously low. Due to some horrendous oversight, Diet Dr. Pepper is not served in the hospital, nor at the Rehab Center. Can you believe that? Luckily, I had 7 bottles of Diet Dr. Pepper safely stashed in my pantry. One never knows when disaster might strike. Have you ever tried to open a plastic bottle of Dr. Pepper with your right arm in a monstrous metal and plastic cast fit for a Super Hero video? Well, try holding a plastic bottle between two replacement knees while you attempt to twist off the cap with your left hand. I tell you, it ain’t easy. I failed on the first six bottles. But on #7, I heard an exploding fizz, meaning Dr. Pepper would soon soothe my craving taste buds. But first, a sweet carbonated syrup shot out on both my legs and onto assorted undergarments not to be mentioned here. (Is this how crying 2-year-olds feel when their diapers hang heavy and low?) That led to a left-handed shower with my busted up right arm in a garbage bag. Not lady-like or sexy at all. That shower scene was more uncertain than Alfred Hitchcock’s famous shower in the Bates Motel. We won’t address what happens when I drop the soap.
As promised, this monthly article will attempt to cut through the technobabble to demonstrate the benefits of emerging technologies in health, wellness, and medicine. This month, let’s take a look at wearable bionics called exoskeletons. You may remember endoskeletons and exoskeletons from your biology courses. Endoskeletons (cartilage and bones) protect the inside of the body and connect to a blood supply, while exoskeletons (a snail shell, for example) protect the outside of the body and do not connect to a blood supply. The study of nature and biology has provided inventors with many inspirations for technology products in a process called biomimicry. Examples include: • Solar panels from the study of butterfly wings • Velcro from the study of burdock burrs (a tiny seed covered in hundreds of microscopic hooks) • Wind turbine blades suggested by the pectoral fins by Dr. Chuck Cadle of humpback whales • Shatter-proof automobile windshields from the study of spider webs, and • Wearable bionics (exoskeletons) from the study of invertebrates. Since the 1960s, when General Electric created Hardiman, the first prototype of a human exoskeleton designed to enable a person to lift 1,500 pounds, orthotic and prosthetic technology has advanced significantly. Today, we are approaching a cost-effective and efficient exoskeletal structure that will allow individuals with mobility impairments to return to everyday routines before their injuries. Exoskeletons (wearable bionics) enable patients who use wheelchairs to walk, run, and participate in other activities enjoyed before their mobility loss. As workers age, sales of exoskeletons for industry applications are forecast to rise from $67 million this year to $1.76 billion in 2028 — not including sales for medical applications. There appears to be a race to access the latest exoskeleton innovations. According to the January 2021 report, Exoskeleton Robots: Global Markets, more than a dozen companies are fo-
Please see EXASPERATING page 16
The Technobabble-Free Zone
Please see NEW FRONTIER page 10
Widespread industrial applications of exoskeleton technology like the one used at a Ford Mustang assembly plant (shown) will accelerate advancements for people with mobility impairments.
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