"I can remove hot pots from the stove, and in winter my hands do not freeze": interview with cyborg Konstantin Deblikov

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

About prosthetics, cyberpunk and the life of a person who has bionic prostheses instead of hands.

Konstantin Deblikov is a guy from Voronezh who lost both hands during a fire show. Now he is a cyborg - a user of bionic prostheses. In his blog, he highlights the situation with prosthetics in Russia and the world. He also humorously talks about the nuances of his own life.

Lifehacker talked to Konstantin and found out how bionic hand prostheses work, what disadvantages they have and what it is like to live with a disability in Russia. We also learned to what extent the technologies that we see in films and games are close to reality.

About how it all began

How did you become a user of bionic prostheses?

My friends were engaged in fire shows - they performed at holidays and corporate parties. I was also fond of this, and they invited me to work part-time. We worked with both fire and pyrotechnics. And in August 2014, two pyrotechnic fountains exploded in my hands. After that, I began to take an active interest in everything related to modern prosthetics.

What happened immediately after the explosion?

I was conscious the entire time I went to the hospital. From the very moment of the explosion, it was clear to me that there were no more hands, they flew apart. It is difficult to describe those feelings. I did not feel any strong unbearable pain. Probably, the adrenaline rush drowned out all emotions and pain. It was a shock.

And when I woke up in the hospital, I learned that my friends and relatives began to collect money for prosthetics. My colleagues, with whom this all happened, created a collection on the Internet. A huge number of people responded. Those who also did fire shows and knew us, organized events to support me.

In a way, I was lucky that at such a moment I was in a community that supported me. And in just a couple of months we raised four million rubles for the first prostheses. I am still grateful to everyone.

It seems to me that this is a natural reaction to any such tragedy. If a person has grief, people immediately start collecting money. Because they are really needed at this moment.

About prosthetics

How do bionic prostheses work?

I always make this disclaimer: when I say “I use bionic prostheses,” I mean a bioelectric prosthesis or, more correctly, a myoelectric prosthesis, or a prosthesis with an external energy source.

It is widely believed in modern culture that bionic is cool and technologically advanced. But bionics is simply an attempt to reproduce externally human forms in a prosthesis.

In fact, any prosthesis that looks like a part of the human body is bionic. Regardless of whether it is controlled by electricity or just made of silicone.

So, my prostheses are bioelectric, they work from muscle contraction. The prosthesis contains two electromagnetic sensors that are pressed against the muscles of the forearm.

When I strain the muscle from the inside of the forearm, the hand makes a grip, that is, it closes. And when I strain the muscle from the outside, the hand opens.

If the prosthesis can do more than one grip, then it is considered multifunctional. In it, you can switch gestures using muscle contractions or buttons. For example, you made a "pinch" gesture, switched to another, and the next time you tighten a muscle, the prosthesis will already clench your hand into a fist.

The vast majority of modern bioelectric prostheses work from two electrodes that read muscle signals. This has nothing to do with neurointerfaces and the implantation of anything into the body.

So we are still far from what we see in films?

The technology is pretty primitive. I always say and emphasize that the first prosthesis that works on this principle was invented by electronic implants in 1956 in the Soviet Union. Since then, nothing fundamentally new has appeared in those hand prostheses that are now available on the market.

This is a sad thought, because Terminator, Star Wars, Cyberpunk 2077, and all of mainstream culture say modern dentures are cool, beautiful, and functional. They really learned how to make them stylish. And that's why many people have such a stereotype in their heads.

They see photos, videos on the Internet, and it seems to them that a bionic prosthesis is no worse than a hand. People often write to me: "Oh, can I somehow cut off my real hand in order to get a prosthesis and become a cool cyborg?" But there is a tangible difference between expectation and reality. So far, things are not as cool as we would like.

Why is there no development?

In fact, there is some development. But the prosthetic and orthopedic industry is very conservative. New items are rare and change is slow. And I don't know what the problem is. Maybe it will help that I will make such statements in the media and inform the public that the prostheses are not good and they need to be greatly improved.

For example, in 2010–2020, somewhere more than five ultramodern bioelectric hand prostheses have appeared on sale. And only one of them works with touch screens: you can use your phone, order something at a self-service terminal at McDonald’s, or go to the bank.

Although in recent years it has become obvious that touch screens are the main interface that a person encounters in life. As a result, I have to make modifications. For example, my father and I figure out how to make the prosthesis work with a touch screen.

Myo Plus pattern recognition prostheses appeared on the market, in which not two electrodes were inserted, but eight. They will more naturally pick up muscle contractions, and you don't have to mechanically switch between grips. But I have also heard many negative reviews for these prostheses. For example, about a huge number of false positives and about the fact that there was no natural control either.

You just need to understand that it is expensive and time-consuming to develop prostheses. These are years and millions of dollars. I will not be original in this, but I have hope for neurointerfaces and people like Elon Musk. I hope that his energy and the money that he invests in this business will really be able to give impetus. And prosthetics as well.

How do you take care of dentures?

The prosthesis must be used with care. Both electronics and a large number of mechanical parts can fail. It must be protected from dirt, dust and any kind of external influences. This is a very capricious thing, and the more complicated and expensive the prosthesis is, the more often it will break. Also, all prostheses are afraid of water. Of course, you can put on cosmetic silicone shells on them, but you also need to be careful with them.

To have a denture repaired under warranty, you need to send it abroad. Because basically they are produced there. Delivery, diagnostics and repairs take about two months, and all this time you sit without it. It is also very expensive. Diagnostics will cost about 50,000 rubles, and repairs will cost hundreds of thousands more. But I managed to gather a circle of people who understand technology and fix my hands in Russia.

How do Russian prostheses differ from foreign ones? Are they better or worse?

I currently use dentures from Ottobock, the most global denture company in the world. They have been doing prosthetics for a hundred years and have invested a lot of money in it.

Whereas Russian companies, such as Motorica and Maxbionic, appeared around 2014. And the amount of resources invested in the development of current domestic prostheses is not yet in a position to compete with foreign firms. Therefore, domestic prostheses have room to grow. And I hope that our manufacturers will not give up this very difficult and thorny path.

About life with bionic prostheses

Are the prostheses difficult to manage? How did you learn to do this?

I received prosthetics in several domestic companies. Training in the use of prostheses in Russia is practically absent - you are given only superrases. They gave the prosthesis, you put it on, and they say: “You squeeze this muscle - the prosthesis closes, and if you strain this, it opens. And with this grip it is better to hold the fork. Try to take something from the table."

You start picking up some objects, and they say: "Okay, now go and train." Therefore, you learn to interact with the prosthesis in everyday life on your own. You wear it every day, and you get better and better over time.

You must understand that you cannot learn to use a prosthesis once and for all, as it happens in the process of learning something in childhood. The prosthesis is unnaturally controlled and lacks feedback. You don’t feel when you touch something, and you cannot blindly fumble for something in a drawer.

Each lock on a new jacket and a new thing in everyday life requires, at least in the beginning, mental exertion and dexterity.

You constantly need to be involved in what you are doing. You must understand what size the object is, evaluate whether you can take it with one hand and with what grip you can do it. When you have two prostheses instead of arms, you are constantly in the process of adapting to life.

Including because of all these difficulties, the vast majority of people with unilateral hand amputation do not use prostheses. They can buy the cheapest model that does not bend - a cosmetic dummy. And, using it and a healthy hand, they have 90% of the capabilities of a healthy person.

Do you have several types of prostheses? Why are they needed and how do they differ?

The more prostheses a person with hand amputation has, the more fulfilling his life will be. He will have more freedom and he will be able to do more different things.

You can't buy one super-expensive prosthesis and use it to cook food, work out in the gym and play musical instruments. Dentures are rather highly specialized. There are very beautiful ones with whom you can go to the office and to a photo session. But you won't be able to do a difficult action or lift something heavy with them. And there are those that look ugly, but can really hold a heavy weight.

I have special prostheses for the gym, which have a vice instead of a regular brush. They are not afraid of breakdowns and stress. And then there are prostheses for drumming.

Do you consider yourself a person with a disability?

You can count or not count, but I have a pink piece of paper, which says that I have the first group of disabilities and I am entitled to a pension. Do I wake up in the morning and think: so, one more day for me with a disability? No. I never get hung up on this and just mind my own business. Of course, it is better to be a completely healthy person, but now it is, so we will live in such conditions.

How do people with disabilities live in Russia?

People with different disabilities have different problems. But I think that we are all united by how difficult it is to get social support from the state. For example, the Social Insurance Fund and the state in general are very reluctant to provide people with technical means of rehabilitation: prostheses, wheelchairs, crutches, diapers for the elderly and anything else.

Specifically, I, as a person with the first group of disabilities, have my own range of claims against the state. For example, I have no right to adopt a child. There is no objective reason for this ban, though. I'm not talking about a baby, which I will really be uncomfortable swaddling. But why can't I become a father to a ten-year-old child?

The state says: we restrict your rights. You are initially defective, incapable.

Also, I am not allowed to drive a car. From the point of view of legislation, I cannot even prove that I can do this. I will not be admitted to the exam. Just because I have a line in the diagnosis. At the same time, there are a huge number of amputees in Russia who drive cars and even work as taxi drivers.

Just google "no hands taxi driver". And you will see a lot of people who, by hook or by crook, get a driver's license in a roundabout way and drive well. They are met by people on the ground who directly violate the law Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014 N 1604.

In the same America, a person with arms amputated on the shoulders can not only drive a car, but even fly an airplane. A few years ago, such a person, Jessica Cox, received the right to fly a light aircraft. You can find a video on the Internet of how she controls his legs. Jessica is a certified pilot. Because she learned and had the opportunity to prove that she can do it safely.

And in Russia you cannot even prove that you are capable of doing something. This is the most offensive and disgusting thing in the life of a person with a disability in this country.

How realistic is it to get a good prosthesis in Russia?

As I said, in our country there is a big problem with the social security of people with disabilities. The state spends a lot of money on the defense industry and the work of the security forces, but little money is allocated for social assistance, for example, for the purchase of prostheses. Therefore, getting a good prosthesis is very difficult. Especially if you live in the region. This takes a lot of time and effort.

They are also expensive in themselves. Although this is not some kind of nanotechnology. One prosthesis, which I now use every day, costs around 1,200,000 rubles. And this is a simple model, which I consider to be the best among the existing ones. And highly functional brushes are even more expensive - several million rubles. The most expensive on the market is from Vincent Systems for 6,000,000 rubles.

And you need to understand that you cannot buy a prosthesis once and walk like that all your life. It has a two-year warranty, and when it comes out, you will need to repair it at your own expense. And after a couple of years, this prosthesis will finally fail.

This is crazy and delusional. Dentures don't have to be that expensive. And I hope that our companies and a large number of startups that set themselves the goal of reducing the cost of prostheses will achieve their goal.

How do people usually react when they see you?

I live in Voronezh and was almost the first person in this city who received normal prostheses at the expense of the state. Naturally, my appearance in the Voronezh minibus will arouse amazement and curiosity. I try to take it with understanding, because they have not seen this before.

But a lot depends on what city or place I am in. In Moscow, at a cool event, where other cool and unusual people will come, I will feel normal. They'll say, "Wow, prosthetic dude." They can come up and speak. But they are unlikely to begin to feel directly unearthly feelings towards me.

Did you have any unpleasant reactions?

There are practically no negative reactions. It’s unpleasant for me when, for example, they stare at me for a very long time and don’t look away, even when I’m already asking for it. Well, okay, give me a little freedom.

But generally everyone responds in a friendly way. They are surprised, come up, ask questions. And this is completely normal. You can talk to people with disabilities.

I am often asked: what is the right way to communicate with people with disabilities? It seems to me that this is an absurd question. It's like saying: "How to communicate with people?" These are exactly the same people, they just have a disability.

If you are very curious, come up, say hello and ask a question politely. This is fine.

There is nothing wrong with the emotions you get when you see someone with a disability. You just have no experience of interacting with such people. The main thing is to always remain human and in any situation treat others the way you would like them to treat you.

And my activity on the Internet just satisfies this curiosity. I originally created my blog just for fun. I love humor and self-irony. But when subscribers appeared, he began to talk about the life of a person with prostheses in more detail. And now I'm talking a lot about the situation related to prosthetics and cyber technologies in Russia and the world.

What does your life look like? Is he somehow different from the life that was before the dentures?

Yes, no different. I am quite independent at home and without prostheses. I woke up and went to wash. I do it without them, because they don't like water. I just don't have brushes, so this is not a problem.

I'm not very skilled at cooking, because dentures are difficult to manipulate with all sorts of soft objects, such as vegetables and fruits. But I can fry eggs, make coffee, have breakfast, sit down at the computer and work or go on business without any problems. I live an ordinary life, just like everyone else.

Dentures still impose any restrictions?

Most of the problems are related to the lack of fine motor skills. It's harder for me to tie shoelaces, button up. And since I have no nails - pick up a bank card that has fallen to the floor. I used to play the guitar, but now I can't.

It will take me a minute longer than another person to fumble for the keys in my backpack, get them and open the door. That is, my task execution time simply increases. But there are not very many serious restrictions.

What advantages have you found for yourself?

There are two advantages, and they are due to the fact that prostheses have no senses. Accordingly, in winter my hands do not freeze and I can remove hot pots from the stove. And another plus is my amazing Instagram account, which people follow because I have beautiful prostheses. This is largely their merit.

You said that you love humor and self-irony. What is your favorite prosthetics joke?

She's not mine, but the last one that I liked: somehow she walks armlessly through the forest, walks and does not touch anyone.

What advice can you give to the readers of Lifehacker?

As a modern cyborg from 2021, not from Cyberpunk 2077, I'll tell you this: guys, don't become cyborgs. Don't lose your limbs. Technology is still very far from what is shown in movies, games and books. Therefore, take care of yourself and value life.