Including the only good part of the article. The whole situation is infuriating. Technology is advancing in ways that can genuinely help people, but with how things are currently set up, it's a...
Fortunately, Lifeward eventually capitulated and Straight was able to get his exoskeleton repaired — but that was only after an intense campaign in which he went on local TV, got highlighted in a horse industry publication, and gained steam on social media. If it weren't for that, he could still be struggling to find a way to get his mobility back again.
Including the only good part of the article. The whole situation is infuriating. Technology is advancing in ways that can genuinely help people, but with how things are currently set up, it's a gamble dependent on the company staying afloat, and being run by decent people with the most basic morality.
This is a critical angle for the right to repair laws: if these companies go under or are scummy, thousands of people suddenly lose the ability to live a normal life. The fact people are dependent on specific companies to have the physical ability to be able to do the most basic tasks is Not Good. Something needs to change so that even if these companies go under, people can still get the necessary support.
Agreed. This is precisely why I would never buy something reasonably high-tech or unique from a start-up. I’m sure people who bought a Fisker Ocean loved their car, but with Fisker basically...
Agreed. This is precisely why I would never buy something reasonably high-tech or unique from a start-up. I’m sure people who bought a Fisker Ocean loved their car, but with Fisker basically imploding it seems questionable how repairable they will be in the foreseeable future. The same goes with Coda, Wheego, or Electra Meccanica. Even the most successful EV startup to date, Tesla, has a reputation for difficulty getting the parts and labor required to fix them, and they are more or less the most successful company in that market segment!
I saw a proposal on reddit to make it a requirement for medical device approval for all source code, documentation and schematics to be put in escrow with the FDA. If the company stops supporting...
I saw a proposal on reddit to make it a requirement for medical device approval for all source code, documentation and schematics to be put in escrow with the FDA.
If the company stops supporting a product, the FDA makes the information available to the public for the purpose of supporting it. Patent licenses are granted for the same purpose.
My partner has been optimistic about exoskeleton options since becoming paralyzed. I'm so excited for a whole new level of medical technology horror. /s (If I can't have magic healing can I at...
My partner has been optimistic about exoskeleton options since becoming paralyzed.
I'm so excited for a whole new level of medical technology horror. /s
(If I can't have magic healing can I at least have the sf future tech? I'm so tired of watching him hurt.)
I remain optimistic about the situation. People are willing and able to DIY hack medical technology when they have access to the hardware. I know of several people that had homebrew closed loop...
I remain optimistic about the situation.
People are willing and able to DIY hack medical technology when they have access to the hardware. I know of several people that had homebrew closed loop insulin pumps long before anyone was even close to getting them FDA approved by hacking the firmware of old pumps and rolling their own software.
The niche is obviously smaller for exoskeletons, but the importance is so much higher.
I'm not handy enough for that, and he's not physically capable. I'm happy other folks will be able to hack together useful shit. But I'm TIRED of trying to make things work right now, and this is...
I'm not handy enough for that, and he's not physically capable.
I'm happy other folks will be able to hack together useful shit.
But I'm TIRED of trying to make things work right now, and this is fully out of my reach. I'm not even sending him this article, because I don't want him to feel as defeated as I am. He can find it himself when he goes looking next.
Honestly I think what we need is a better way to connect those with the skills to those who need the help. With the right support group, I think it's very possible to find people who are both...
Honestly I think what we need is a better way to connect those with the skills to those who need the help. With the right support group, I think it's very possible to find people who are both capable and willing to do the work. The issue, however, is connecting those with the skills to those with the need. Tech repair and engineering is unfortunately complicated enough to have it's own sub-specializations but the wording for these specializations has not yet emerged. Cobblers, for example, are people who specialize on shoe work and while they also will have many leather-working related skills, they are not the same as an upholsterer who will also have leather-working related skills but specific to carpentry. I would also say that in general, we don't view tech repair/engineering skills as a trade quite yet, despite it clearly emerging as one and having analogous trades around such as mechanics.
I'd agree and having a community who can help support is great. And there is for example a website where people who have needs for adaptive tools or design ideas for adaptive tools can get...
I'd agree and having a community who can help support is great. And there is for example a website where people who have needs for adaptive tools or design ideas for adaptive tools can get patterns designed and/or download existing patterns or find people who can print the patterns.
But it's disabled folks are pretty much all doing this individually themselves - finding resources, or figuring out what helps their individual needs. Even OT has been surprised what we've found sometimes, but others none of us can figure out an optimal solution.
Sad, man. He needs it to walk, it's not something minor like a wristwatch or something like this. Reminded me of Gunther Hermann in Deus Ex—the first one. I suppose because Straight's exoskeleton...
Sad, man. He needs it to walk, it's not something minor like a wristwatch or something like this.
Reminded me of Gunther Hermann in Deus Ex—the first one. I suppose because Straight's exoskeleton is like a mech' aug.
There was this email of Gunther's you could find on the UNATCO computers (if you went around hacking them like a snooping colleague) about being abandoned by (prosthetics) progress:
"well be sld at flee markets... old gray golems for scareing the children".
Including the only good part of the article. The whole situation is infuriating. Technology is advancing in ways that can genuinely help people, but with how things are currently set up, it's a gamble dependent on the company staying afloat, and being run by decent people with the most basic morality.
This is a critical angle for the right to repair laws: if these companies go under or are scummy, thousands of people suddenly lose the ability to live a normal life. The fact people are dependent on specific companies to have the physical ability to be able to do the most basic tasks is Not Good. Something needs to change so that even if these companies go under, people can still get the necessary support.
Agreed. This is precisely why I would never buy something reasonably high-tech or unique from a start-up. I’m sure people who bought a Fisker Ocean loved their car, but with Fisker basically imploding it seems questionable how repairable they will be in the foreseeable future. The same goes with Coda, Wheego, or Electra Meccanica. Even the most successful EV startup to date, Tesla, has a reputation for difficulty getting the parts and labor required to fix them, and they are more or less the most successful company in that market segment!
I really think there needs to be legislation that forces companies to release open source documentation for discontinued products.
I saw a proposal on reddit to make it a requirement for medical device approval for all source code, documentation and schematics to be put in escrow with the FDA.
If the company stops supporting a product, the FDA makes the information available to the public for the purpose of supporting it. Patent licenses are granted for the same purpose.
Got a link? That sounds like a pretty interesting one.
No, it was just some random commenter on a chain that didn't go anywhere
I agree, but why stop at discontinued? 😉
Mandatory OSS would be an interesting and brave new world.
My partner has been optimistic about exoskeleton options since becoming paralyzed.
I'm so excited for a whole new level of medical technology horror. /s
(If I can't have magic healing can I at least have the sf future tech? I'm so tired of watching him hurt.)
I remain optimistic about the situation.
People are willing and able to DIY hack medical technology when they have access to the hardware. I know of several people that had homebrew closed loop insulin pumps long before anyone was even close to getting them FDA approved by hacking the firmware of old pumps and rolling their own software.
The niche is obviously smaller for exoskeletons, but the importance is so much higher.
I'm not handy enough for that, and he's not physically capable.
I'm happy other folks will be able to hack together useful shit.
But I'm TIRED of trying to make things work right now, and this is fully out of my reach. I'm not even sending him this article, because I don't want him to feel as defeated as I am. He can find it himself when he goes looking next.
We're both exhausted
Honestly I think what we need is a better way to connect those with the skills to those who need the help. With the right support group, I think it's very possible to find people who are both capable and willing to do the work. The issue, however, is connecting those with the skills to those with the need. Tech repair and engineering is unfortunately complicated enough to have it's own sub-specializations but the wording for these specializations has not yet emerged. Cobblers, for example, are people who specialize on shoe work and while they also will have many leather-working related skills, they are not the same as an upholsterer who will also have leather-working related skills but specific to carpentry. I would also say that in general, we don't view tech repair/engineering skills as a trade quite yet, despite it clearly emerging as one and having analogous trades around such as mechanics.
I'd agree and having a community who can help support is great. And there is for example a website where people who have needs for adaptive tools or design ideas for adaptive tools can get patterns designed and/or download existing patterns or find people who can print the patterns.
But it's disabled folks are pretty much all doing this individually themselves - finding resources, or figuring out what helps their individual needs. Even OT has been surprised what we've found sometimes, but others none of us can figure out an optimal solution.
Hey, I played the Surge 1 and 2. Your partner is gonna be in for a fun time.
You'll be reduced to nanites, however.
Sad, man. He needs it to walk, it's not something minor like a wristwatch or something like this.
Reminded me of Gunther Hermann in Deus Ex—the first one. I suppose because Straight's exoskeleton is like a mech' aug.
There was this email of Gunther's you could find on the UNATCO computers (if you went around hacking them like a snooping colleague) about being abandoned by (prosthetics) progress: