Tag: cyborg

Swedish Biohackers

1000s of people in Sweden have inserted microchips, which can function as contactless credit cards, key cards and even railcards, into their bodies. Once the chip is underneath your skin, there is no longer any need to worry about misplacing a card or carrying a heavy wallet. This phenomenon reflects Sweden’s unique biohacking scene. If you look underneath the surface, Sweden’s love affair with all things digital goes much deeper than these microchips.

Cyborgization after UBI

Instead of pursuing a strategy of increased externalisation, perhaps we could pursue increased integration. In other words, perhaps we could merge ourselves (our bodies; our minds) with technology. Perhaps we could become cyborgs. That way, the systems that I lamented towards the end of the previous section would no longer threaten to sever the link between what we do and what can be achieved. They would be integrated into who we are. We could have the best of both worlds: the benefits of the enhanced capacities of technology along with meaningful participation in the outcomes the technology facilitates

Chips and cells

The ability to build a system that combines the power of solid-state electronics with the capabilities of biological components has great promise. “You need a bomb-sniffing dog now, but if you can take just the part of the dog that is useful — the molecules that are doing the sensing — we wouldn’t need the whole animal”. The technology could also provide a power source for implanted electronic devices in ATP-rich environments such as inside living cells.

Becoming a disney character

Our posthuman future made cute by disney.

Disney is teaming up with Open Bionics to provide royalty-free use of various character hands for children who’ve lost a limb! Open Bionics is thrilled to announce the next generation of bionic hands for young amputees. From the Marvel Universe, hot out of Tony Stark’s workshop, the Iron Man hand. Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters. The Walt Disney Company is generously donating the time of its creative teams and providing royalty free licenses. More designs coming soon!”

Myoelectric Prosthesis

The state of prosthetic hands remains underreported.

2021-11-05: Bionic hands are now good enough for concert pianists.

Although the gloves are not a definitive fix, they work beautifully for now. “It’s a palliative solution that makes small miracles happen”. They’ve given him a new way of understanding his passion. The ability to play a perfect recital nonstop is long gone, but a different sort of appreciation has emerged in its place. A few minutes of flawless playing is magical enough. “For me, 2 minutes I consider a miracle.” Perhaps the most remarkable part is how much they cost: only $300. After what they did for the maestro, imagine the promise they hold for everyone else? They seem ripe for mass production, but Costa is currently only able to make simplified versions on a case-by-case basis for focal dystonia patients and stroke victims. These have been met with varying degrees of success. Perhaps this is out of defensiveness for his creation, but Costa implies that not everyone has the same stubborn desire to get better as Martins does.