July - Tail update and Lathreas interview

Hi folks, our July newsletter is here. It's a big one!

The first article, written by Bleddyn, Mecknavorz, Nalco, and Pepper, we are proud to say, represents a big milestone in the tail neuroprosthetic project! Building on work over the past couple years, and on our December '23 and February '24 newsletters, we are now all set on the initial challenge of detecting muscle actions. The team had to work through several complexities unique to this, that you just don't see when electrodes are used in a doctor's office or laboratory. Through testing passive versus active electrodes, optimization in some electrical engineering specifics, and careful attention to how electrodes are attached, they were able to reproducibly demonstrate muscle activity. In addition, they were able to implement real-time data transmission to the computer being used for recording, which will be crucial for the next steps in the project.

With the basics down, we are thrilled to say, we are ready to move into testing the electrodes with muscles in the lower back. We will also be able to work on more meaningful signal processing, and on the horizon, comparing signals coming from multiple electrodes and understanding how those represent the wearer's intent!

The second article is an interview with Lathreas, our Chief Technology Officer, hosted as usual by SvarOS. Lathreas is frighteningly talented - they did 90% of the work on our 3D wolf model, for one. They're a biophysicist with expertise working on nano-scale problems, and wield mathematical tools like it's no big deal. Lathreas is also very rigorous, and this has been instrumental for so many things already - decisions behind our strategic roadmap; craniofacial projects; and leading us to discover important things in the integument - all by challenging assumptions and nudging us to look deeper. Check it out!

Thank you again and as always for being part of our movement. Your support has, among other things, allowed us to continue supporting the tail team's experimentation, and is allowing us to look into previously far-off equipment for the next stage of their work. Thank you!