This is a placeholder page until RP Staff hammers out the final details. For the moment, though, players wishing to create characters with cybernetic enhancements will be considered on a case-by-case basis. - Hagalaz

Biomechatronics is an applied interdisciplinary science that aims to integrate mechanical elements, electronics and parts of biological organisms. Biomechatronics includes the aspects of biology, mechanics, and electronics. It also encompasses the fields of robotics and neuroscience. The goal of this branch of science is to make devices that interact with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems. The end result is that the devices will help with human motor control that was lost or impaired by trauma, disease or birth defects.

The first experiment with a healthy individual appears to have been that by the British scientist Kevin Warwick. In 2002, an implant was interfaced directly into Warwick's nervous system. The electrode array, which contained around a hundred electrodes, was placed in the median nerve. The signals produced were detailed enough that a robot arm was able to mimic the actions of Warwick's own arm and provide a form of touch feedback again via the implant.

Claudia Mitchell, a former Marine and amputee, tested a prosthetic arm developed by Dr. Todd Kuiken at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. A plastic surgeon, Dr. Gregory Dumainian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago re-directed the nerves that control her missing arm to her chest. The nerves re-grew close to the skin of her chest. Tiny electrodes on her skin picked up the electrical activity of these nerves and sent signals to the motors in the arm. She was able to control the arm's movements by thinking about it.

OOC Note: As of 2011, the prosthetic arm is not truly biomechatronic in that signals only go one way, from Claudia to the arm. Dr. Kuiken is working on the next step of having the arm provide feedback to her, including sensations such as pain and pressure. Note also that this is different than a myoelectric prosthesis (which relies on currents generated by muscle contraction to control the prosthesis) because the sensors involved are detecting nerve activity from the remnants of the subject's median nerve - Hagalaz.

• Metal is NOT better than meat, just different. Autologous cloned body parts are available in a number of situations.
• In addition to being vulnerable to taser-style electrical effects, biomechatronic limbs are also vulnerable to things like EMP and induction heating.
• Artificial limbs may be stronger than their meat counterparts, but they're still ultimately anchored to muscle and bone. So, yes, you might be able to crush a cue ball in your hand, but no, you can't lift that truck/vending machine/locomotive over your head.

As always, RP Staff has final say over what's possible.

- Hagalaz

Keywords:

• biomechatronics
• sieve integrated circuit electrode
• biomedical engineering
• multielectrode array
• Kevin Warwick
• Claudia Mitchell
• Rehabilitation institute of Chicago