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The theme of Susanna Hertrich’s thesis at the Design Interactions department, RCA, in London, is a reflection on humans and animals in the context of “Human Enhancement”: How much do we want to borrow from animals and what are the risks this would involve? How much of the animal is still living inside us? How much of the original animal that we once were has been has been lost in the evolution process?

The project that Susanna was showing at the work in progress show a few weeks ago is the Alertness Enhancing Device.

The risks we fear the most are often the ones most unlikely to be encountered. The human animal has lost its natural instinct for the real dangers. When worn directly on your skin, the Alertness Enhancing Device will act as a physical prosthesis for a lost natural instinct of the real fears and dangers that threaten us - as opposed to perceived risks that often cause a public outrage.

The idea is it stimulates goosebumps and shivers that go down your spine and make your neck hair stand up, waking up the alert animal inside. You become more alert and ready for the real dangers in life.

Before / after

Why would we need such device? Studies on risk perception show that many people are seriously afraid of terrorist attacks and their anxiety is heavily exploited in media and politics. A look at statistics shows that the probability of becoming a victim of terrorism is quite small. Meanwhile other real hazards are perceived as rather uninteresting and raise far less fear, for example environmental pollution or car traffic.

While we consciously know what are the things that really threatens us, we tend to dedicate much more of attention to spectacular disasters with many deaths.

That’s when the Alertness Enhancing Device comes in. If you feel dispassionate and bored when reading news stories about another environmental pollution scandal, it’s probably time to turn the dial of the device on.

And since it’s a wearable device, you can even alert yourself in any situation, even in public contexts.

“The project is pretty much in a work-in-progress state,” explains Susanna. “What I’ve shown in the exhibition was “just” a form prototype, but I have been experimenting with micro-current stimulations. This is quite unpleasant if placed between your shoulder blades and on your neck, but not as “in your face” as a plain electrical shocks. And…it allows you can alter the current, so you can decide how much you can take for now. Which is how I intend this first prototype to work.”

How is the project going to evolve?

“For the next version I plan to work with much more sophisticated sensations on the skin than microcurrents. The project now has shifted more into “skin as interface” and I plan to play with “apparent movement” sensations and “somatosensory illusions” as beeing explored in haptic research. I’m currently in touch with scientists in London and Tokyo to get an insight into how these things work and how I can use those techniques.
I’m not sure if the second version will work the same way as the first prototype. Probably the second version will be triggered automatically by data that is collected from some other place. I see it rather as “desktop device” than a wearable, and maybe it is something next to your door that you want to check before leaving the house. But I need decide on all the details during the next weeks…”

Thanks Susanna!

All images courtesy of Susanna Hertrich.

Molecular prosthesis against gout
March 28, 2010
Researchers from the ETH Zurich’s Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) have devised a new method for preventing and permanently eradicating the cause of gout. It involves implanting a biological network that regulates the uric acid levels autonomously.
As Paracelsus once stated, the dose makes the poison. This not only goes for chemical substances introduced to the body, but also those produced by it. The uric acid in the blood especially needs to be in the proper dosage. If the level is too high (i.e. above 6.8 mg/dl blood), the uric acid crystallizes out, which can cause kidney stones and gout. However, uric acid is an important part of the human detoxification system, acting as a socalled “scavenger” of free radicals, which cause neurological disorders, brain diseases and tumors. A team of researchers headed by Professor Martin Fussenegger from ETH Zurich’s D-BSSE in Basle has now succeeded in building a network of genes which permanently keep the uric acid concentration in check. The preliminary trials in mice have been encouraging. The research results were published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Self-regulating network
In most mammals, the enzyme urate oxydase controls the uric acid level. As humans evolved from the apes, however, they lost this enzyme, which is why we suffer more from an elevated uric acid concentration. Researchers from ETH Zurich set about finding a way to rectify the defect and restore the subtle control of the uric acid level. With this in mind, they put together a biological network of genes called UREX. The individual components of UREX were “programmed” differently by the researchers: a uric acid sensor constantly gauges and controls the concentration in the blood. If the uric acid level reaches an alarming concentration, the sensor relays the information to a genetic circuit. This then makes sure that the third component of the network releases the correct amount of urate oxydase into the blood and that the uric acid level is restored to a healthy balance. The three components of the network thus communicate with each other and work independently and automatically - without any external assistance. The uric acid level can therefore be controlled permanently using UREX.

Genes left untouched
The gene network is integrated in a single cell. Around two million of these cells are enclosed in a seaweed gelatine capsule measuring 0.2 mm in diameter to protect the cells against an immune response. Pores in the capsule ensure that the cell receives an optimal supply of nutrients, the uric acid level can be gauged by the sensor and the enzyme can find its way into the blood. However, the organism does not come into contact with the network’s modified genes. Even if the method were used in humans, a direct intervention in the patient’s genetic make-up would not be necessary. “In the case of diseases resulting from genetic defects, it might make sense to channel genetically modified material directly into the human cells. However, this also raises concerns as the material can no longer be removed”, explains Martin Fussenegger. But this is not the case with the new method: the implant can be removed safely at any time and without any after-effects.

For the ETH-Zurich professor, the result is a prime example of what the relatively new research branch of synthetic biology can achieve: “Many medical problems are solved by introducing chemical substances, i.e. medication, into the body from outside. In our method, we repair a defective metabolic pathway and help the body to treat itself in the best possible way.” Martin Fussenegger refers to it fondly as a “molecular prosthesis” - an artificial aid that compensates for the evolutionary lack of urate oxydase.

Gout: a scourge of mankind
Around 1 % of the population in the industrialized countries suffers from the extremely painful joint disease gout due to elevated uric acid levels. There are many causes for the increase in the uric acid level: a genetic predisposition, environmental influences or an unbalanced diet. Moreover, it can lead to so-called tumor lysis syndrome after chemotherapy. Due to the intervention, tumor cells disintegrate so quickly that too much uric acid finds its way into the blood. This results in metabolic complications and possibly renal failure.

The team of researchers from ETH Zurich has successfully tested the UREX network on mice: as expected, the uric acid concentration in the blood decreased to a stable and healthy level, and the uric acid crystals in the animals’ kidneys dissolved. The researchers have already filed a patent application for the network, but the next steps for its medical application are now in the hands of other partners. “We’re confident that our network will complete all the necessary series of tests in the not too distant future, but in our experience it takes longer than you might hope for a finished product to reach the market”, cautions Fussenegger. Once this one does, however, gout and kidney stones will be a thing of the past.

Kemmer C, Gitzinger M, Daoud-El Baba M, Djonov V, Stelling J, Fussenegger M. Self-sufficient control of urate homeostasis in mice by a synthetic circuit. Nature Biotechnology (2010), Advanced online publication, 28 March, doi:10.1038/nbt.1617

will be the procedure through which man-made products are produced to substitute a missing or impaired system element. Prosthetic hands are built to look since the identical size of your hands, and will swap the purpose on the hands. A prosthetic hands falls underneath among the four various sorts of prostheses, trans-radial. Trans-radial can be a prosthesis kind for everything essential under the elbow. Quite a few kinds of prosthetic palm patterns have confined usability but technological innovation and its advancement has created capabilities like having the ability to grip and keep conceivable. Lots of day-to-day performs like having the ability to holding pens, cups, and moving in the identical fashion a human palm would happen to be equipped for being recreated with prosthetics. While using several prosthetics and components offered, men and women are ready to adapt to their lives a great deal more effortlessly.

The resources employed for every single of those prostheses differ from individual to particular person. Plastic material polymer laminates can be utilized if strength and stiffness inside substance is required, but could be not comfortable because of some tightness. Textiles can be utilised to make thin and easily portable prostheses with fabrics which include carbon fiber, fiberglass, nylon, Dacron and Kevlar.

You’ll find handful of varieties of remedies for this distinct prosthetic, one among which currently being a easy unnatural palm known as static prostheses, which has become all-around for several years. This prosthetic can not be managed by any user, and is most probably to obtain no perform. Its intent is always to assist while using all round looks of someone and support assemble their self-confidence. You can find static prosthetics that when created, can hook approximately a person’s shoulder and permits the particular person to at the least be capable of grasp specified objects. The design and style is really straightforward, but they’ve near to no features in any way. Folks may well select to choose a much better prosthetic variety if it’s within just their price range simply because without having excellent hand-eye coordination, they appear to just get in the way in which.

Relative to static forms, are passive kinds. A passive prosthetics is sensible in how they search and they can be somewhat functional. They can be built when someone is experiencing not sure about their physical appearance as well as the pounds from the prosthetic. They may be produced from a light and versatile skin-like mold, which has a metal skeleton below. Passive prosthetics is usually a a lot more natural selection when it will come to affordability. The far more pure a palm appears, the far more dollars it will eventually charge. These prostheses are an excellent method for people who want some thing semi-realistic with some performance.

A different prosthetic variety services with myoelectricity. A myoelectric prosthetic is alot more advanced than static prosthetics, are battery operated and operates by making use of voluntary muscles created through the man or women. You will find sensors within just the manufactured arm or hands which could diagnose transmitted electrical energy through the nerve and muscle techniques within a human entire body. You’ll find additional state-of-the-art dynamic technology through which signals acquired with the prosthetic can identify warm or cold temperatures and transmit it again towards particular person, generating the responses appears quite healthy. It requires these signals and sends the info back again for the man or woman through their electrodes, and pass the sensing of temperature to their central nervous program.

The supplies that happen to be employed for each and every of the prosthetic sorts are commonly quite light and portable, to support make them simpler to obtain in any way occasions and service. Prostheses are evaluated by professionals and medical doctors, and are built with mindful thing to consider to support serve every single man or women individually as most effective as conceivable.

Understand additional: http://www.articlesbase.com/science-articles/how-prosthetic-hands-work-2117369.html#ixzz0mbsUwAFx
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