Buzz
Looking back at human history, the majority of technological innovations were aimed at simplifying our lives. However, we’re now entering a new phase where technology isn't just something we use—it’s something that helps us enhance our own abilities. The concept of becoming a cyborg—a fusion of man and machine—is both intriguing and unsettling. These emerging technologies gently remind us that we're edging closer to a future where the cyborg era is becoming more tangible.
10. Vibrotactile Gloves
One of the most exciting aspects of becoming a cyborg is the potential to acquire additional senses. Humans traditionally possess five senses (depending on how you categorize them), each linked to a specific organ. For instance, our eyes are our window to vision. But imagine if you could 'see' through your hands in situations where vision is impaired? This is the vision of Anthony Carton and Lucy Dunne from the University of Minnesota, who are developing technology that allows firefighters to navigate through smoke without the need for sight.
This innovation is known as the vibrotactile glove, a pair of gloves equipped with an ultrasonic rangefinder. Inside the glove, a series of vibrating motors activate, guided by the rangefinder, to map out nearby obstacles on the back of the wearer’s hand. A firefighter can hold their hand in front of them and ‘feel’ the positioning of objects in the room.
9. Display-Enhanced Forearm
The area between a person’s wrist and elbow plays a key role in connecting the wrist to the elbow. However, Simon Oberding and his team at Singapore University view this space as underutilized. Their vision for the forearms of the future is to turn this area into digital displays. Oberding has created a prototype that straps onto the forearm, featuring four separate screens, each displaying a different set of data. For example, one screen could display GPS directions, while another could stream interesting YouTube videos.
At its core, Oberding’s prototype is essentially an advanced wristwatch. However, to truly reach cyborg potential, the device must be implanted beneath the skin. A Toronto-based software company, AutoDesk, has been exploring implanted user interfaces. Though they don’t have a concrete goal yet, they successfully implanted a touch sensor into a cadaver’s forearm and charged the embedded electronics using a Bluetooth receiver. They continue to refine the technology to make it commercially viable.
8. Muscle-Driven Force Feedback
Haptic technology, also known as force feedback, isn’t new. If you’ve ever played a video game with a vibrating controller, you've already encountered haptic technology. The rumble pack vibrates in sync with the in-game action, adding a physical sensation to the visual experience. In some cases, force feedback is used to encourage a specific action by creating a force that your body instinctively tries to resist, similar to someone pushing you sideways—you naturally push back to maintain your balance.
Most haptic devices rely on vibrating motors to create force, but there are limitations to how small these motors can be, restricting their range of use. A team of German researchers completely discarded the use of motors and instead employed electrical stimulation on muscles to trigger a response. During tests, volunteers played an airplane game on a smartphone, where strong gusts of wind (in the game) knocked the plane off course. As the virtual wind blew, the player's right arm would jerk upwards, tilting the game to the left, prompting them to use their other arm to correct the phone's position back to the right.
Beyond video games, muscle-driven force feedback will eventually assist with learning new skills. For instance, if you're practicing golf, electrical impulses could subtly guide your body into the perfect posture for an ideal swing.
7. Brainwave Sensors
We’ve already seen significant progress in reading brainwaves, such as an experiment where researchers successfully flew a helicopter using brain signals detected by an EEG sensor.
However, a different kind of brainwave reader—functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS—has been used by a team of researchers at Tufts University to develop a device that not only detects brainwaves but also processes that data to tap into personal preferences. This fNIRS system was paired with a brain-computer interface that accurately recommended movies. The more a person interacted with the system, the more precise the recommendations became, as if the system was learning about that person over time.
These sensors are challenging to use in daily life because factors like head movements can interfere with the signal. But the same research team is working on a program designed to filter out these disruptions. This development could lead to a smooth brain-to-machine interface capable of making perfect decisions for you every time—whether it’s suggesting a movie, choosing your meal, or even helping you pick out a new car.
6. Fully Articulated Prosthetics
One of the earliest forms of cyborg technology is the prosthetic limb. The ancient Egyptians used prosthetics, but we’ve come a long way since then, far beyond the days of carving wooden toes. In fact, the last decade has seen more advancements in prosthetics than all of history up until now. Take, for example, the BeBionic myoelectric prosthetic hand, which allows each finger joint to move independently. This is made possible by connecting the prosthetic to the skin and muscles in the amputee’s upper arm. A small muscle twitch can reposition the hand based on the electrical signals in the skin, giving the prosthetic hand a level of articulation that nearly matches the functionality of a real hand.
With a bit of practice, users can accomplish a wide range of tasks that would be impossible with a less sophisticated prosthetic—like tying shoelaces or using a computer mouse.
5. Nano-Fractal Implants
In 2005, neuroscientist Armand R. Tanguay Jr. amazed the world with his bionic eye, which attached to the retina and captured images from a digital camera mounted on a pair of sunglasses. But the future of bionic eyes promises even more astonishing advancements—physicist Richard Taylor is working on an ‘implant’ made from self-assembling, fractal-shaped nanomaterials that could replicate the function of eye neurons.
The primary issue with cameras is that they don’t process information in the same way that the human eye does. Retinal neurons are branched, much like a fractal pattern, while cameras send signals in a linear fashion. When a camera is connected to a blind person’s retina, much of the information is lost in the transition between the artificial device and the living tissue. This is why almost every retinal implant so far produces a blurry, grainy, black-and-white image—far from the resolution of the human eye.
Taylor’s “nanoflowers” would create a more compatible connection when implanted in the retina. Since they resemble natural neurons more closely, they would integrate almost seamlessly with the remaining functional parts of a blind person’s eye, allowing the brain to receive a complete transmission from the camera.
The next step is to create a camera capable of seeing with the 127-megapixel resolution of the human eye. At that point, a blind person would have perfect vision.
4. Merging Vehicles And Humans
This initiative, named Homunculus, might appear trivial at first, but it stands as one of the pioneering efforts to combine humans and vehicles, potentially altering how we interact with cars. As the researchers state, “We propose the situation that humans and vehicles can be unified as one unit.”
The focus of Homunculus is currently on pedestrian safety. For instance, an onboard camera monitors the driver’s head movements, while a set of eyes on the front of the car mimics those movements. This allows pedestrians to see if the driver is aware of them. Additionally, infrared sensors along the sides of the car trigger two vibrating motors on the driver’s arms, notifying them when an object (such as a small child) is near the vehicle.
3. Parasitic Humanoid
The Parasitic Humanoid, created by a research team at Osaka University, Japan, elevates force feedback into an advanced tool for skill transmission. Essentially, the device is worn on the head, and its sensors are spread across the wearer's body. As the person performs an activity, the computer analyzes the proper movements. Over time, it learns to “teach” these motions to another person through force feedback.
In this video, two Parasitic Humanoids are used in tandem. One is attached to an expert, while it’s linked to a second device on another individual. The second person can both feel and see what the expert is experiencing, allowing them to replicate complex skills without formal instruction. As the technology evolves, the researchers aim to create a single parasite pre-programmed with specific skills. In the near future, you might be able to purchase a Parasitic Humanoid, download a skill, and learn it almost instantly.
2. Telescopic Vision
The term “Superpower” is often overused, but it might be the best description for a contact lens currently being tested at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. This lens features a liquid crystal shutter that allows the wearer to instantly toggle between normal vision and a 2.8x magnification, giving them telescopic vision at will.
And surprisingly, it works. The contact lens was first tested on a life-size model of an eye, and then the technology was integrated into a pair of modified 3-D glasses for real human testing. The only challenge the team faces now is incorporating the liquid crystal shutter into a softer plastic, the type used in most contact lenses today. True to its cyborg theme, the lens has been aptly named the “Terminator Lens.”
1. Taste Changing
If you’ve watched The Matrix, you may recall a moment when a character humorously remarks that machines couldn't figure out what chicken tastes like—so, everything tastes like chicken. While it’s a throwaway joke, it raises an interesting question: how could you break down something as abstract as “flavor” and recreate it at will?
Hiromi Nakamura and Homei Miyashita have been working on a fascinating question for the last two years: how can you change the flavor of food with just a flick of a switch using electric currents? Their innovative goal is to integrate artificial taste sensations into virtual reality, enhancing the realism of simulations. For example, when wearing a virtual reality headset and mimicking the act of eating a slice of cake, a small device attached to your tongue will generate the right current, making you actually taste the cake.
Their next goal is to create an electric straw that could be programmed to deliver any taste you desire, regardless of what you’re drinking. Looking ahead, this technology could evolve into a tongue implant, allowing you to choose and experience whatever flavor you wish to taste.
