Getting Real: The Deka ‘Luke’ Arm

It strikes me that I’ve been predominantly writing about my research into fiction lately without making much mention of the real world cybernetics I’ve looked into.

I used an image of Deka Research Corps ‘Luke Arm’ sometime ago on the blog but didn’t say anything about it, something I should remedy now as it’s a fascinating example of technology normally associated with sci-fi realised with surprisingly down-to-earth intentions. Despite having no offensive properties this advanced prosthesis was funded by Pentagon’s DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency), a division typically associated with weapons and armour R & D. The 2005 initiative was started with wounded Iraq veterans in mind, specifically those who have lost arms though it seems fair to suggest the completed arm could have much broader benefits.

One of two simultaneously commissioned programmes, Deka’s project is not only over $10 million cheaper than its competitor – the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory – but a great deal more feasible to boot. While the more expensive project has plans to develop a neurally controlled prosthetic arm with experimental technology, Michael Kamen’s New Hampshire medical company took the approach of making an advanced prosthesis available “for people who literally want to strap it on and go.”

Though considerably cruder than the alternative we’re still a long way off realising the kind of responsive cyborg replacements sci-fi typically envisions, while besides providing a more immediate solution for amputees the Deka arm is also implemented with less invasive measures. Ideas such as connecting to existing nerves would offer more naturalistic control, however it’s understandable that many would be put off by the surgery to say nothing of the additional costs and technical/biological complications.

As Kamen himself puts it ”Prosthetic legs are in the 21st century, with prosthetic arms we’re in the Flintstones.” I can certainly believe this last point having seen Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius ‘The Blade Runner’ in action. Besides being reputedly uncomfortable and ill fitted, existing arm prostheses are clumsy, more complicated models being largely unmanageable while the basic ‘wire and hook’ is incapable of more delicate manipulations.

The Luke arm marks a leap forward in almost every area. Besides developing a new comfortable socket fitting, they ensured the arm to be lightweight and modular allowing adjustment for virtually any level of amputation. Formerly state of the art models only featured three powered joints and consequently only three degrees of freedom as opposed to the twenty-two offered by a living human arm, the Deka prosthesis doesn’t quite match this but comes remarkably close with eighteen.

Of course all these features would be meaningless without a comprehensive control system. As demonstrated by test subject Chuck Hildreth in the video below, manipulation is managed via a set of foot pedals – something I would have assumed to be fairly impractical, but appears quite precise in action – pushing down with different toes controlling rotations and contractions in the arm and hand, while the harness also detects muscle movements in his side toggling types of rotations and grips. Sensory feedback typical of a real arm remains an issue but this can also be addressed by a ‘tactor’, a device placed against the skin which vibrates with frequency proportional to pressure applied in a grip.

Perhaps this is beginning to sound like a high-tech sales pitch, but it has to be stressed the level of advancement this represents not just in the quality of living for amputees but for science in general. This is by no means a replacement for the human arm yet, but it’s remarkable what it can accomplish all the same. The Deka arm can do things its users would formerly have found impossible such as peeling a banana, operating a drill or holding a paper cup without crushing it.

In relation to my research what I find most interesting here is the optimistic image projected regarding such enhancements and cyborg technology. The cliché of the technological Apocalypse is a frequent concept in sci-fi cinema with the likes of Terminator and The Matrix envisioning our demise at the hands of our own creations, while the cyberpunk theme of ‘high technology, low humanity’ almost invariably sees them abused for selfish or destructive purposes. Looking at real world examples of these technologies provides a valuable counterbalance to the overzealous condemnation present in most fiction.

More bizarre to consider perhaps is not so much the influence of reality on fiction, but how fictional advancements could well be shaping real ones. I mentioned previously how the pioneering cyborg theorist Manfred Clynes claimed films like Terminator saddened him as they “misinterpret the message”. In the case of the Luke arm a different message appears to have been taken onboard: apparently the Deka complex has its own life size terminator figure, its missing arm replaced with a replica of their own one. Even the nickname ‘Luke arm’ itself is a homage to the cyborg hand Luke adopts to replace the severed one in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. For all the detrimental impact sci-fi may have, its inspirational qualities shouldn’t be dismissed too easily either.

On a less optimistic note, marketing and distribution requirements need to be fulfilled before any specialised technology can really gain a foothold in everyday life. While the arm is said to have found funding for clinical trials (which it was still undergoing last time I checked) it also needs to be approved by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and secure commercial funding for distribution to the public. While the market is certainly there with 6000 in the US needing a prosthetic each year, it’s relatively small and consequently specialised. As a result it doesn’t present a particularly attractive opportunity for sponsors seeking financial gain, and even if they do fund it prices are likely to remain unaffordable for many due to the level of the sophistication and the cost to produce it.

What I can take from this example are effectively two things: that a formerly science fiction based technology may steadily be becoming a reality, but that without the required support it may never leave the test lab. In my own fictional setting I’m developing I should consider how this problem might be addressed in a cyborg-centric society.

Concept: Baldo

Baldo is something of a departure from my previous designs. Standing at the far end of the spectrum from Baer with his creaky enhancements, this is a man of immense wealth and power who would naturally flaunt it with some high end implants (see the cheeks, eyes and brow), at the same time though he’s someone concerned with looking good and as much as he’d want to show off it remains doubtful he’d embrace the more freakish cyborg features. It is thus that these enhancements are present but remain muted in comparison with someone like Scratch, Baer or indeed Baby Face.

Also being a criminal figure of considerable greed and villainy I wanted him to be good looking but somehow uncanny, as though by attempting to create attractive looks via cosmetic surgery he tried too hard and slightly missed the mark. His face is bizarrely thin and elongated, while there’s something unsettlingly vampiric about his features. Baldo isn’t as obviously unnatural as some of the story’s other cyborgs but should remain quietly disturbing.

I’m fairly happy with most of the design for the head and face but the clothing seems a little too bland and uninteresting by comparison. Reckon I’ll give it another go after I’ve gathered some new ideas.

Concept: Baer

Lieutenant Baer is not proving an easy character to draw or to write, I’m trying to duck under the horde of horrible clichés surrounding policemen but frankly avoiding one usually means stepping into another. He’s an immensely irritable character, but also someone who cares about his job and fiercely defends moral decisions. Yes, exactly that sounds like every fictional police lieutenant since the dawn of time I know, but I am working on fleshing him out in my script and including some less predictable traits.

In terms of the design I went for a particularly hard wearing look with body armour and the crude prosthetic arm.  Given that my setting is intended to be largely lawless and hostile (particularly towards the authorities) it seemed that reflecting this in the police’s increased precautions would be a effective idea. What I particularly like about this design though is the sense of outdatedness; machines age and become obsolete all the time, but supposing the machine in question is a part of you? Baer is a great deal older than much of the cast and while his cybernetic prosthesis looks tough it’s remarkably basic and clumsy compared to those of someone like Scratch.

These are the themes I’d like his character to explore, the sense of being out of step with surroundings as both a person but also as an example of technology.

 

Concept: Scratch redux

My recent proposal presentation went down remarkably well, however I did recieve one particularly strong criticism regarding my character concepts – not over the characters themselves or my drawing style but specifically over their clothing, being told that their garb was too generic, too typical of the genre. Taking an honest look at the designs with fresh eyes I feel inclined to agree; currently I’m wearing (sorry) my influences on my sleeve a little too obviously. So, I tried a different approach…

I’ve being toying with the idea of drawing design ideas from cyberpunk’s parent genres of Noir and detective fiction for some time,  but remained apprehensive. Putting an old school spin on things could be interesting but it could also push my setting into steam/retropunk territory and loose focus as a result.

It is consequently with some caution that I approach this new aesthetic, I don’t intend to saturate my design with it but a few nods in the style of certain characters ought to result in a more interesting look and feel to my cast and – by extension – the setting. In the case of Scratch (above) I’ve tried to emphasise her role as the allegorical detective in the narrative with the braces & tie combo. It makes her appear more masculine but given her relatively butch personality this isn’t exactly a bad thing, while it also projects a stronger sense of the professionalism intended in the character rather than the ‘futuristic basketball player’ vibe her old outfit gave.

It’s looking like a promising new direction for my design so I’ll see how far I can take it before I have to compromise.

Reflection: Sacred Cows

I’ve just finished the first module of my MA, requiring me to submit a second proposal and run a presentation. Beyond meeting the obvious demands of the course this gave me a chance to reflect on the research and planning I’ve covered thus far, while also considering some criticism the panel gave me. My script is still in flux and concepts are being continually redrawn/imagined, but I have some aspects of the project which I now know to be certainties. So, it is these ‘sacred cows’ that I shall run over (sorry, that sounded wrong) – ahem – that I shall summarise here.

First of all there’s the matter of scientific grounding: from the very start I had the intention of basing as much of my setting in scientific fact and theory as feasible. I hesitate to suggest everything will have such a basis – there’s a good reason I didn’t pursue a career in cybernetics and as fiction it would be a shame if I didn’t have a little fun with things. All the same it’s my firm intention to maintain a reasonable level of credibility amongst the sci-fi and steer clear of some more outlandish ideas I might be tempted by. Greater realism means greater credibility, greater credibility means greater immersion.

In line with this credibility there’s my decision to firmly stick to a used future aesthetic. I’m hardly saying I want my cyborgs to be rusting piles of junk staggering around a post-apocalyptic scrap yard (did I just describe Battle Angel Alita?), but at the same time giving machinery, clothes and the surroundings a sense of usage and history seems far more realistic than off-the-production-line sheen. Precisely how I’ll manage this remains to be seen, but my drawing style tends to be inherently quite rough around the edges and consequently fitting to the desired look.

Then there’s the matter of my central pairing: My two main protagonists Scratch and Curt will be forced to work together by an unfortunate turn of events, consequently having to put aside personal prejudices and their general dislike for one another to resolve matters. Clichéd as it may sound this relationship is intended to be beneficial to both sides, each somehow addressing the weaknesses of the other. On the one hand the newcomer Curt is a very human character, but at the same time remains deeply cowardly and phobic. Scratch – a heavily modified cyborg – is someone who is strong with a great deal of integrity, but ultimately deluded about herself and the role the machine takes in her life. At the risk of sounding pretentious I could say this impromptu partnership is symbiotic much as the relationship between organic and mechanical in a cyborg is… but I’ll spare you and just say I’m still ironing out the details on this one.

Finally there’s my commentary. What exactly am I trying to say here? It’s somewhat traditional of most cyberpunk to imply that machines and technology have some sort of dehumanising effect upon people, but is this really fair? Couldn’t we argue that machines are humanised through human usage? Much as we move into a new house and decorate to our tastes, couldn’t we consider technology to be implemented into our lives similarly? Even this blog is a fine example; I’ve taken a bunch of templates and default settings, then customised them in accordance with my (worrying) personal tastes. I’m not saying technological advancement is always inherently good news given evidence to the contrary, but realistically speaking I’ve seen too much good done by it for outright condemnation to makes sense. It is thus that I wish to counterbalance more stereotypically negative undertones with a fair respect for technology’s positives as well.

So yeah, not many certainties yet but I’m about 99% sure that all of the latter will form some part of the finished graphic novel. The rest remains embryonic but bare with me and I’ll make this baby yet…