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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
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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."

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Japan Bear Victim's Watch Shows Last Movements

Bears have killed several people in Japan this year. Caroline GARDIN / AFP
Bears have killed several people in Japan this year. Caroline GARDIN / AFP
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Japan Bear Victim's Watch Shows Last Movements

Bears have killed several people in Japan this year. Caroline GARDIN / AFP
Bears have killed several people in Japan this year. Caroline GARDIN / AFP

The watch of a Japanese hiker killed by a bear has revealed harrowing details about his last moments, including that the animal returned to his body the next day, a newspaper report said.

Bears have killed a record 13 people in Japan this year and injured more than 200 others, while reports of the creatures roaming near schools and rampaging in supermarkets have heightened anxiety, especially in rural northern regions.

The hiker's GPS watch, which uses satellite signals to log routes and monitors heart rate, was retrieved after the fatal attack on August 14, the Asahi Shimbun reported.

Data from the device showed that at around 11 am it suddenly deviated from the hiking trail in Hokkaido and went down a forested slope, the daily said, according to Agence France Presse.

In an area of thick brush, it repeatedly circled and passed over the same spot.

The watch also showed that the man's heart stopped beating about 100 to 130 meters (yards) from the trail, indicating that he died there.

The watch remained in the same spot all night but moved again around 9 am the next morning, travelling several hundred meters through the brush.

This suggests the brown bear had come back and dragged the man's body away, the Asahi said.

Three days later, on August 15, a bear with two cubs was spotted dragging his body in its mouth. All three animals were killed.

A mound of earth made by the bear was found nearby and traces of the man -- who was engaged to be married -- were discovered, the report added.

The victim's parents were asked to identify the body, but police asked them only to look at his face because of the extent of injuries.

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Reintroduction of Wildlife Species at Saudi Arabia’s Hegra Reserve to Enhance Ecological Balance

The initiative forms part of RCU's strategy to rehabilitate wildlife and achieve environmental sustainability.
The initiative forms part of RCU's strategy to rehabilitate wildlife and achieve environmental sustainability.
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Reintroduction of Wildlife Species at Saudi Arabia’s Hegra Reserve to Enhance Ecological Balance

The initiative forms part of RCU's strategy to rehabilitate wildlife and achieve environmental sustainability.
The initiative forms part of RCU's strategy to rehabilitate wildlife and achieve environmental sustainability.

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), in cooperation with the National Center for Wildlife, has reintroduced 37 wildlife species at the Hegra Nature Reserve in AlUla as part of its efforts to enhance ecological balance and preserve the region's natural biodiversity.

The initiative forms part of RCU's strategy to rehabilitate wildlife and achieve environmental sustainability.

It also supports eco-tourism by increasing the presence of wildlife species and enriching visitors' natural experiences, in line with AlUla's vision to develop its natural resources and strengthen its environmental values.

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WHO Reaffirms No Link between Vaccines and Autism

The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
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WHO Reaffirms No Link between Vaccines and Autism

The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
The logo of the World Health Organization is seen at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 28, 2025. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

The World Health Organization's vaccine safety committee said on Thursday that new reviews of scientific evidence found no link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorder, reaffirming conclusions reached more than two decades ago.

The WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety assessed two systematic reviews covering studies published between 2010 and August 2025, according to Reuters.

The reviews examined vaccines in general and those containing thiomersal, a mercury-based preservative that has long been accused by critics of contributing to autism - a claim repeatedly dismissed by scientific studies.

A causal link between vaccines and health outcomes is considered only when several high-quality studies consistently show a statistical association, the committee said.

Twenty out of 31 studies found no evidence of an association between vaccines and autism, according to the WHO.

Eleven studies that suggested a possible link were deemed to have major methodological flaws and a high risk of bias, the committee said.

Last month, US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an interview with the New York Times that he had personally instructed the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its long-standing position that vaccines do not cause autism.