عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Scientists Integrate Computer Vision Software in Prosthetic Limbs

Used prosthetic legs are seen at the Center of Advanced Prosthetics in San Jose February 11, 2013. JUAN CARLOS ULATE/REUTERS
Used prosthetic legs are seen at the Center of Advanced Prosthetics in San Jose February 11, 2013. JUAN CARLOS ULATE/REUTERS
TT
20
TT

Scientists Integrate Computer Vision Software in Prosthetic Limbs

Used prosthetic legs are seen at the Center of Advanced Prosthetics in San Jose February 11, 2013. JUAN CARLOS ULATE/REUTERS
Used prosthetic legs are seen at the Center of Advanced Prosthetics in San Jose February 11, 2013. JUAN CARLOS ULATE/REUTERS

A US research team has developed new software that enables people using robotic prosthetics or exoskeletons to walk in a safer, more natural manner on different types of terrain.

The new framework incorporates computer vision into prosthetic leg control, and allows it to better account for uncertainty.

The software also uses a tiny camera installed on one of the limb's ends. The Science Daily website cited Researcher Edgar Lobaton from the North Carolina State University, saying "Lower-limb robotic prosthetics need to execute different behaviors based on the terrain users are walking on."

"The framework we've created allows the AI in robotic prostheses to predict the type of terrain users will be stepping on, quantify the uncertainties associated with that prediction, and then incorporate those results into its decision-making," he explained.

According to the German News Agency, the software can distinguish between six different terrains that require adjustments in a robotic prosthetic's behavior including tile, concrete, grass, and stairs (up and down).

Boxuan Zhong, lead author of the paper and a Ph.D. graduate from NC State said: "If the degree of uncertainty is too high, the AI software could notify the user or it could default to a 'safe' mode."

Most Viewed

 
Varieties

Egypt, Greece Agree to Protect Status of Mount Sinai Monastery

A general view of St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, Egypt, March 7, 2019. Picture taken March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A general view of St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, Egypt, March 7, 2019. Picture taken March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
TT
20
TT

Egypt, Greece Agree to Protect Status of Mount Sinai Monastery

A general view of St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, Egypt, March 7, 2019. Picture taken March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
A general view of St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, Egypt, March 7, 2019. Picture taken March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Greece and Egypt have agreed to safeguard the status of one of the world's oldest sites of Christian worship, foreign ministers of both countries said late on Wednesday, after an Egyptian court ruling last week cast uncertainty over its future.

The St Catherine's Monastery, at the foot of Egypt's Mount Sinai, was founded in the 6th century and is the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its original function, says UNESCO, which has listed the area as a World Heritage site, Reuters reported.

Revered by Christians, Muslims and Jews, the monastery is at the site where by Biblical tradition Moses received the Ten Commandments.

But last week, an Egyptian court ruling seen by Reuters ordered Orthodox monks to vacate several plots of land that the monks have used for years, including vineyards and gardens adjacent to the monastery compound, on the grounds that they were illegally sequestered, prompting a diplomatic flurry between Cairo and Athens over the site's status.

"We agreed in the immediate future to work towards safeguarding the rights of the monastery, as well as its legal status," Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said after meeting his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in Cairo.

"Both Egypt and Greece intend to move forward based on the long-standing tradition and the already established status of an emblematic monastery for its Greek Orthodox character of worship".

Abdelatty said that the ruling preserves the monastery’s profound spiritual value and religious standing, and confirmed that the monks would continue to have access to and use of the monastery and its religious and historical sites, according to a foreign ministry statement. With a long history of diplomatic ties, Greece and Egypt have deepened cooperation in recent years.

St Catherine's is a sprawling complex, and according to tradition it was built around a burning bush where God was said to have spoken to Moses as described in the Book of Exodus. Its library is one of the most extensive worldwide, containing some of the world's earliest Christian manuscripts.