If your knowledge of America's medical training technology is comprised only of that disembodied torso of a dummy you practiced CPR on back in high school, you might think that we're a little behind other nations, such as Japan and its high-tech professional toys. Not so, however — just take a look at the iStan. When a firefighter or medical professional reaches you during an emergency, advanced dummies like the iStan make sure they won't be practicing on you. They'll already know what to do.

iStan won't fool anyone up close, though it does mimic a live patient in all the ways that count to a medical professional in training. One thing that often shocks people who perform CPR for the first time is just how firm the chest is, as you'll be pushing down against the sternum. The iStan will give plenty of resistance as it has a full skeleton, as well as lungs and a simulated nervous system.

With all of that under the hood, the dummy can simulate a wide variety of problems from simple bladder complications to serious, life-threatening conditions. iStan is controlled wirelessly and operates without a tether, which helps creates the illusion that it's a real, breathing person METI