When we think of cyborgs — people whose physical abilities have been enhanced by mechanical elements built into their bodies — we tend to think of the Hollywood version. For example, there’s a movie coming out soon called Alita: Battle Angel, about a cyborg discovered in a junkyard who turns out to be a highly-skilled and powerful assassin. If you’ve seen the trailer for this movie, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the age of cyborgs is still very far away.
Actually, if you think about it, the concept of incorporating technology into our bodies has been practised for decades now. Think of pacemakers that help people with heart ailments. Of course that’s very basic technology compared to the kinds seen in Hollywood movies but there are some real life technologies that have already been developed or are in development which will help improve the lives of people overcome by various ailments or disabilities. Let’s look at a few amazing examples.
Artificial Pancreas
Type 1 diabetics are those people who cannot adequately produce insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugars and starches into glucose, which the body needs for energy. Currently, managing Type 1 diabetes is a very burdensome chore that requires a lot of diligence on what is consumed.
In the near future, diabetics may have access to an artificial pancreas. These systems will monitor glucose levels 24/7 and automatically provide the right amount of insulin at the right time. Computer algorithms that reside on a smartphone will link to a continuous glucose monitor sensor and insulin pump to determine blood sugar trends so it can control insulin delivery.
An artificial pancreas is currently in clinical trials to assess its safety for use in people with Type 1 diabetes. But the pancreas isn’t the only artificial organ being developed. Many companies are investing in the development of artificial organs such as the heart and the liver. There are two advantages to artificial organs that make them better than real ones. Firstly, the chances of the body rejecting the artificial organ are low compared to donated organs which will require the recipient to take immune-suppressants. Secondly, artificial organs don’t grow old and expire.
Eyes
Perhaps the most far out eye enhancement technology is to replace your normal organic lens with a computerised one. This is something Google has actually patented. The idea is to remove the lens of your eye, inject fluid into your empty lens capsule and put an electronic lens in its place. These cyborg eyes will give you perfect vision (Google says it can cure presbyopia, myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism). But beyond good vision, your eyes would literally be able to function as a telescope, a microscope, a camera and a video recording device with the content sent wirelessly over to a nearby device. Unlike our organic lenses, electronic ones don’t grow old and deteriorate so you’d have these cyborg eyes for life.
Arm
People who have lost their arms generally use a prosthetic that ends with a split hook type of device that allows them to pick up things. This basic model hasn’t changed much in over a century since it was first introduced. However, these primitive prosthetics might be a thing of the past thanks to the LUKE Arm (named after Luke Skywalker who had his hand chopped off by Darth Vader). It’s a very advanced prosthetic arm that gives its users a sense of touch. Electronic sensors receive signals from the wearer’s muscles that the LUKE Arm then translates into physical movement. The use of specialised motors make it possible for users to feel the difference between the resistance offered by different types of items being picked up. Funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), these advanced prosthetic arms have been available since 2016.
Hand
Some people have their upper limbs intact but their hand has been damaged. A prosthetic hand that can actually grab things would be very useful. Enter the “bebionic hand” which has individual motors at every joint along every finger to facilitate 14 pre-determined grip patterns. Available since 2010, the bebionic hand is agile enough for the user to hold an egg without crushing it and strong enough to hold up to 45kg. Finger mobility in prosthetic hands isn’t only helpful for the user emotionally and psychologically, it also makes it possible for them to take part in today’s modern economy which is very digital-oriented and requires typing on a keyboard.
Leg
Prosthetic legs have also been around for a long time but did you know there’s actually technology that allows a bionic leg to be controlled by the user’s mind? Zac Vawter, a software engineer whose leg was amputated above the knee, wore one in 2012 to climb the 2,100 steps of the Willis Tower in Chicago. It took him less than an hour to do so (53 minutes and nine seconds to be precise).
The technology that translates brain signals into physical movement is called Targeted Muscle Reinnvervation (TMR) and it was developed by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago with funding from the US Department of Defense. Amputees have nerve endings at the tip of their amputated limbs. These are still functioning and are still connected to the user’s brains. Electrodes detect electrical impulses in the muscles at the site of the amputation and send the pattern to a computer which executes a learned response.
As can be seen, much of “cyborg” technology is already here but the main barrier to mass adoption is cost. For example, Vawter’s bionic leg costs US$8 million (RM31.8 million). The cost of all the other technologies described earlier is also beyond the reach of a typical layman. The great thing about technology is that we can always rely on its costs dropping over time, sometimes exponentially once production reaches a critical mass.