Working on a new prosthetic arm

[crappyice]

Sure, you buyin? Hah

Absolutely but I’m not allowed to ask you to hang out anymore remember!!!


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[Bionic]

33 minutes ago, crappyice said:

Absolutely but I’m not allowed to ask you to hang out anymore remember!!!


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Wait what? LoL

......ooooooh!!! Yeah lmao 

[Bionic]

So I did some tuning today, SLOWLY getting this system in line.

[Bionic]

 

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Edited July 20, 2019 by Bionic

[Bionic]

Issues with the arm already.  Arm has a check valve to allow air to escape the socket that my real arm slides into....this creates a slight suction/vacuum to help hold the prosthesis on.  Well, the tube that the the check valves slides into, is all boogered up...received it this way, well its boogered up enough that the O-ring on the check valve will not seal properly.  This means the prosthesis sags a pinch from my real arm, which is created a small gap in the socket.  Basically, my real arm is NOT bottomed out in the socket, so some of the electrodes, are not in contact AT ALL with my skin.  

Good times...oh well, hopefully fix it Tuesday, but doubt they have one of those parts in stock that us boogered up, since its a WAY overpriced piece of plastic tube.

[G-Man]

Hope they can get it repaired correctly quickly for you..

[Bionic]

All fixed....much better feel to the arm too, obviously feels more secure.  The control has improved immensely as well! 

Soon this will rebuilt into the definitive arm for official testing.  

Any ideas as far as color? Can go white, black, white flesh tone, real carbon fiber, or any color really....i can even buy a sleeve online with a pattern or picture if I wanted, and it can be laminated into it.

[Robhuntandfish]

One vote for Realtree!

Good to hear it is fitting right. Can't learn how to operate it if the fit isn't right. 

[Bionic]

23 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

One vote for Realtree!

Good to hear it is fitting right. Can't learn how to operate it if the fit isn't right. 

It has crossed my mind to camo it out haha.  

[stubborn1VT]

If it were me I would go with carbon fiber overlayed with leaves and vines.  

What about a Maine treeline/sunset?  Not like an orange/pink sky, but dark trees against a light sky?

Glad to hear you're making progress.

 

[Marion]

All fixed....much better feel to the arm too, obviously feels more secure.  The control has improved immensely as well! 
Soon this will rebuilt into the definitive arm for official testing.  
Any ideas as far as color? Can go white, black, white flesh tone, real carbon fiber, or any color really....i can even buy a sleeve online with a pattern or picture if I wanted, and it can be laminated into it.

Real carbon fiber or translucent. Only two options

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[Bionic]

23 minutes ago, stubborn1VT said:

If it were me I would go with carbon fiber overlayed with leaves and vines.  

What about a Maine treeline/sunset?  Not like an orange/pink sky, but dark trees against a light sky?

Glad to hear you're making progress.

 

Hmmm, cool ideas! Never crossed my mind, thanks!

[Bionic]

18 minutes ago, The Jerkman said:

Real carbon fiber or translucent. Only two options

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The thing with carbon is that it is the most popular arm socket out there....I like to be unique, but at the same time, my current airbrushed arm I am SUPER CAREFUL with, and it gets old.

honestly, I wanted to contact 

[Skillet]

Dude. You are the definition of Badass.

[Bionic]

Just now, Skillet said:

Dude. You are the definition of Badass.

Thanks Skillet! I am just living life though and having fun at the same time, and doing what I need to do.

 

having too much fun with pics tonight too, haha.  

[G-Man]

Perhaps a custom tattoo sleeve? Tattoos that mean something to you.. in a nice wrap on it would be unique and like having tattoo work done  but no needles...

[Bionic]

4 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Perhaps a custom tattoo sleeve? Tattoos that mean something to you.. in a nice wrap on it would be unique and like having tattoo work done  but no needles...

That arm is free hand air-brushed by a tattoo artist from pictures, and ideas I gave him.  I gave him the freedom after that to finalize it.  Love it, minus the chain...it is automotive paint, and automotive clear coat.  I don’t know of anything I would want though as far as tattoo wise...I keep thinking, and thinking 

[Bionic]

For those that still follow along, I am getting closer to the definitive arm for testing.  Most bugs are now worked out, and we are just making sure the socket shape is just right for comfort during long 12+ hrs days.  I was finding myself uncomfortable after I got to work, about an hour after putting the arm on in the mornings.  I would take the arm off, and put back on sometimes 4, or 5 times...no good.  My inside epicondyle bone was riding on the side of the socket which becomes irritated very fast.  Anyways, blah blah blahhh, I stopped at the office today, and she modified the socket for me where it puts pressure on the epicondyle bone.  So far, so good, but tomorrow is a more accurate test.  We are shooting for August 8th to drop the clear arm off I am talking about, they will ship it out to California, and that is where the definitive arm will be fabricated.  I should have it back by the time I leave for Maine in September.  

[turkeyfeathers]

Thanks for the update.  Coming along slowly but surely it seems.  Best of luck , you got this !

[Bionic]

Just now, turkeyfeathers said:

Thanks for the update.  Coming along slowly but surely it seems.  Best of luck , you got this !

My pleasure.  Thank you for the support!

honestly, now that this system is operating correctly, and decently dialed in, I am learning a lot about it.  I am now able to ask questions about certain things on the software, and how the system responds to my muscle commands.  I am finding out that with this Pattern Recognition system, that once you flex your muscles for the pattern needed for a hand movement, the system has to analyze every signal being sent from your muscles....SO, that means there is a lag of about a quarter, to a half second for the hand and/or wrist to move to your command.  I am NOT a fan of that AT ALL.  My old 2 channel system has an INSTANT response time, ZERO lag.  Also, I am noticing that the hand opens/closes at full speed whenever I “tell it” to open, or close....that is NOT ideal.  My 2 channel arm thats painted, I can move that hand so slowly that you can literally hear it creaking, like meshing of gears slow, or I can make it move as fast a it can, all by the strength in which I fire.  Realistically, I would not try picking up an egg with pattern recognition, since it is not proportional in speed....keep in mind, I am using the EXACT SAME HAND for both systems, exact hand.  

My prosthetists had a little bet amongst themselves that I would, or wouldn’t like this pattern recognition software.  I laughed and asked why? They said they thought I would not like it since I am apparently so good at 2 channel control, that it is like watching someone with a real hand thats actually a myoelectric prosthesis.  They think I am faster with the 2 channel system than what pattern recognition is capable of.  Pretty crazy...

[crappyice]

How much shooting practice will be needed with your new arm? It’s gotta be quite different, no?


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[Bionic]

8 minutes ago, crappyice said:

How much shooting practice will be needed with your new arm? It’s gotta be quite different, no?


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I honestly do not wear any prosthetic when I shoot.  If I am hunting at home, I do not wear an arm.  I only wear an arm when I use my compound bow for obvious reasons.  My crossbow, handgun, rifles, all armless.  The only exception is when I hunt elsewhere, like near my job, or state land, then I do wear my painted arm.  That arm is, and still will be used very often.  I am getting a new arm because I am allowed to as far as time goes with health insurance, and I want a different hand where each finger can contour around objects.  However, the same arm I use now will continue to be my bow hunting arm, due to it being the fastest, strongest, and more durable hand available, I mention that because I can very much trust it.  I use the fake arm to hold up the bow.  My arm is only about 3” long after my elbow, just imagine the leverage weight hanging off that little bit of bone....fake arm, and compound bow, lol.  This is why I limit myself to 20-25 yards, arm gets tired too fast to keep steady.

Edited July 30, 2019 by Bionic

[Moho81]

I hate to say it but it sounds like this new tech really won’t be that great for you. Less finesse but more motion

I do see you keeping your old arm as a good thing. Each one might have its own place in your life.

Either way I’m happy for ya and think it’s pretty cool you get to be the guy to help develop it to make it even better.


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[Bionic]

16 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

I hate to say it but it sounds like this new tech really won’t be that great for you. Less finesse but more motion

I do see you keeping your old arm as a good thing. Each one might have its own place in your life.

Either way I’m happy for ya and think it’s pretty cool you get to be the guy to help develop it to make it even better.


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Yeah I too do not see me utilizing this new software, I have mastered the old software to the point I can operate faster with the 2 channel versus the 12 channel pattern rec, I would be going backwards if I “upgraded”. 

Thats exactly it.  I have a “work arm” a “good all around arm”, and soon will build an arm just for everything but labor.

thank you, its really exciting for me

[Bionic]

So today, after the modification to the socket, it was VERY comfortable! I put it on just before 5 this morning, and did not take it off until 3:30 ish this afternoon, it felt as if I could wear it for hours longer.  I also noticed that the arm’s battery died around 4pm, after I started with a full charge around 6am....my other arm with the same battery, can hold a charge over s WEEK....this goes to show how much juice this pattern recognition drinks.