High tech gadgets for each girl

[Brisingr]

Since today has been completely boring so far, I was just surfing the net when I came across some awesome high tech gadgets that each girl could use to further overcome their disability:

Shizune
http://gajitz.com/watch-what-you-say-re ... aring-aid/

Lilly
http://gajitz.com/taste-test-device-let ... ir-tongue/
http://gajitz.com/blind-ant-bition-amaz ... the-blind/

Emi/Rin
http://gajitz.com/faking-it-3-stunning- ... fe-better/
http://gajitz.com/smart-glove-turns-pro ... ing-limbs/

Hanako
http://gajitz.com/led-er-of-the-pack-an ... d-tattoos/

The one for Hanako was more inclined as a joke but it could still be useful... Anyway, let me know what you think on it.

[fioj]

I don't know how practical some of these would be, but it sure is interesting to see what modern science is coming up with.

[UncleJellyfish]

I want a Siafu!

[newnar]

Lol wut? I was gonna blindly post "Full set SteelSeries gear for Hanako".

[Chronopolize]

Wow, forget about technology for a few years and it will blow your mind.

[GaseousMask]

I don't even want to ask how they can use our tongue senses to perceive the outside world...

[NoOne3]

Too bad these are future concepts, like a flying car for everyone. I like the idea of 3D dislay for visually impaired the most.

And I did my time with Cyberpunk2020, so Hanako with a half-body animated neon-led tattoo (and a mono-katana) is just too much for me to handle.

[Zeetch]

Transhumanism, yay! Now that is my cup of tea, and we are closer to it than you think. Here is a more believe list, Hisao included

For the Emis of the world Ossur is the leading designer of leg prostectics(She is using what I assume is the flex-foot in game)
http://www.ossur.com/americas

Arms and hands inperticular are quite a bit more complicated, but slowly but surely robotic arms controlled by the mind are coming.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/10/brai ... -speed-up/

Stems cells are at the forefront of most thing to aid humanity, especially helping thoughs needing skin grafts.
http://smallcapworld.wordpress.com/2011 ... able-body/

As stated above, the seeming limitless abilities of stem cells is also at work helping the blind. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2 ... california

For our fair Shizunes, http://www.advancedbionics.com/ is making headway in helping those without experience sound.


Even Hisao's future is bright with the newest tech advances in the heart field


**tl;dr: Technology, Yay!**

[Bigbishounen]

I thought that Emi's "spring" legs were pretty darn high tech already. I'm not certain that they are even available in real life yet.

EDIT: Apparently they ARE available! According to the poster above me. Awesome! http://www.ossur.com/flex-run

Some of the prosthetics that US military members are getting after losing a leg in battle are pretty impressive though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN3rZdeg71g but there is no way you could run even with those.

One thing that is decidedly "Low tech" that I was surprised NOT to see in use was lip reading. Why in the world wouldn't Shizune have learned to read lips? She certainly has the drive to learn it quickly, but she seems unable to communicate without a sign interpreter nearby. Lip reading Japanese can be difficult, but should be more doable to native speakers who aren't bilingual. (being bilingual apparently adds in a certain complexity and ambiguity to the process. For more information on that see here: http://www.asel.udel.edu/icslp/cdrom/vo ... /a1003.pdf PDF and "SCIENCE!" warning on that one.) I guess the writers didn't bother to put it in for literary purposes. Nonetheless, it does stick out. Every deaf person I've every known (about 20 in my life) has either been learning or already learned to read lips. (One deaf girl in my HS back in the '80's could lip read pretty accurately from across the room and at half profile! She was scary good at it.) It is a common skill taught in the US to all Deaf or Deaf/Mute people.

[Mirage_GSM]

Emi's legblades are quite low-tech, really.
The first carbon-fibres have been around since the 1970s. Don't know since when they build these prosthetics, but some version of them is already in Raita's original sketch.
Regarding lip-reading - apprently it's only about 30-40% accurate even if you do learn it.

[geekahedron]

The thing about blind seeing with their tongues made me think of one thing only:

[Cyraknoss]

I guess I'll have to be the giant nerd in the thread and point out this. Lilly will soon have a really cool visor, and possibly a position as chief engineer.

[GaseousMask]

Some of the prosthetics that US military members are getting after losing a leg in battle are pretty impressive though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN3rZdeg71g but there is no way you could run even with those.

Actually the more recent prosthetic legs, you can even run, jump, and bike. Haha, he even did a little dance jump for joy. Sadly i can't seem to find the video again :[. it was on a news channel

[guest2]

Why in the world wouldn't Shizune have learned to read lips?

I believe she does know how to, to some extent, at least. Otherwise I don't think she would have known what the heck Jigoro was doing at the school. When you go to talk to her however, she already knows. Jigoro and Shizune both don't like their phones, so I don't think Hideaki would have texted her it.

Just like with the pad, though, I think she probably mostly refuses to lip read and would rather just use Misha or Hisao as a buffer.

[Snow_Storm]

Hanako could use those Metal Gear Solid-like nanomanchinesd to restore her skin cells.