It’s no longer a distant dream or a sci-fi fantasy. The bionic age is here.
So many firsts:
- The first bionic eye, from California’s Second Sight.
- The first bionic body suits, for consumers and soldiers, from companies like ReWalk and Ekso Bionics.
- Even those trapped inside bodies that can’t move or speak are finding ways to communicate through their brain waves. That via groundbreaking research from BrainGate in Massachusetts.
These first patients and technologists are the pioneers, using bionics to restore normal human capabilities.
The next wave, though, is already upon us — those seeking to use technology to gain extra senses, or “superhuman” qualities. Neil Harbisson, a leader of the cyborg movement, implanted an antenna in his head a decade ago. He says it allows him to “hear” ultraviolet and infrared colors, now the purview of machines and select animals and insects.
It’s a small leap from today’s wearable technologies to tomorrow’s implantable ones, many of which are likely to be used for detecting and preventing disease. Within our lifetimes, bionics are likely to transform not only how we live but who we are.
