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  • The Insane and Exciting Future of The Bionic Body - Innovation - Smithsonian

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    The document discusses advances in bionic technology and prosthetics. It describes a bionic hand that a man named Bertolt Meyer has, which he controls via electrodes in his residual limb that open and close the hand. Researchers have also developed prototypes of artificial organs and an experimental brain implant. The document predicts that bionic technology will increasingly become part of people's lives, with over 50% of the human body now able to be artificially replicated. It raises questions about how much of the human body can be artificially replaced before a person is no longer considered human.

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    The Insane and Exciting Future of the Bionic Body _ Innovation _ Smithsonian

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    The document discusses advances in bionic technology and prosthetics. It describes a bionic hand that a man named Bertolt Meyer has, which he controls via electrodes in his residual limb that open and close the hand. Researchers have also developed prototypes of artificial organs and an experimental brain implant. The document predicts that bionic technology will increasingly become part of people's lives, with over 50% of the human body now able to be artificially replicated. It raises questions about how much of the human body can be artificially replaced before a person is no longer considered human.

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    55 views2 pages

    The Insane and Exciting Future of The Bionic Body - Innovation - Smithsonian

    Uploaded by

    Edric Cyril Araneta
    The document discusses advances in bionic technology and prosthetics. It describes a bionic hand that a man named Bertolt Meyer has, which he controls via electrodes in his residual limb that open and close the hand. Researchers have also developed prototypes of artificial organs and an experimental brain implant. The document predicts that bionic technology will increasingly become part of people's lives, with over 50% of the human body now able to be artificially replicated. It raises questions about how much of the human body can be artificially replaced before a person is no longer considered human.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 2

    3/4/2017 TheInsaneandExcitingFutureoftheBionicBody|Innovation|Smithsonian

    Smithsonian.com
    TheInsaneandExcitingFutureoftheBionicBody
    Fromilimbstoartificialorgans,advancesintechnologyhaveledto
    anexplosionofinnovationintheincreasinglycriticalfieldof
    prosthetics
    (JamesCheadle)

    ByGeoffBrumfiel
    SmithsonianMagazine|Subscribe
    September2013

    BertoltMeyerpullsoffhisleftforearmandgivesittome.Itssmoothandblack,andthehandhasaclear
    siliconecover,likeaniPhonecase.Beneaththerubberyskinareskeletalroboticfingersofthesortyoumight
    seeinascifimoviethecoolfactor,Meyercallsit.

    Iholdthearminmyhand.Itsprettylight,Isay.Yes,onlyacoupleofpounds,heresponds.

    Itrynottostareatthestumpwherehisarmshouldbe.Meyerexplainshowhisprostheticlimbworks.The
    deviceisheldonbysuction.Asiliconesheathonthestumphelpscreateatightsealaroundthelimb.Itneeds
    tobecomfortableandsnugatthesametime,hesays.

    CanItouchit?Iask.Goahead,hesays.Irunmyhandalongthestickysiliconeandithelpsdispelmy
    uneasethestumpmaylookstrange,butthearmfeelsstrongandhealthy.

    Meyer,33,isslightlybuiltandhasdarkfeaturesandafriendlyface.AnativeofHamburg,Germany,currently
    livinginSwitzerland,hewasbornwithonlyaninchorsoofarmbelowtheleftelbow.Hehaswornaprosthetic
    limbonandoffsincehewas3monthsold.Thefirstonewaspassive,justtogethisyoungmindaccustomedto
    havingsomethingforeignattachedtohisbody.Whenhewas5yearsold,hegotahook,whichhecontrolled
    withaharnessacrosshisshoulders.Hedidntwearitmuch,untilhejoinedtheBoyScoutswhenhewas12.
    Thedownsideisthatitisextremelyuncomfortablebecauseyourealwayswearingtheharness,hesays.

    Thislatestiterationisabionichand,witheachfingerdrivenbyitsownmotor.Insideofthemoldedforearmare
    twoelectrodesthatrespondtomuscularsignalsintheresiduallimb:Sendingasignaltooneelectrodeopensthe
    handandtotheotherclosesit.ActivatingbothallowsMeyertorotatethewristanunnerving360degrees.The
    metaphorthatIuseforthisislearninghowtoparallelparkyourcar,hesaysasheopenshishandwithawhir.
    Atfirst,itsalittletricky,butyougetthehangofit.

    TouchBionics,themakerofthismechanicalwonder,callsittheilimb.Thenamerepresentsmorethan
    marketing.Improvedsoftware,longerlastingbatteriesandsmaller,morepowerefficientmicroprocessorsthe
    technologiesdrivingtherevolutioninpersonalelectronicshaveusheredinanewerainbionics.Inadditionto
    prostheticlimbs,whicharemoreversatileanduserfriendlythaneverbefore,researchershavedeveloped
    functioningprototypesofartificialorgansthatcantaketheplaceofonesspleen,pancreasorlungs.Andan
    experimentalimplantthatwiresthebraintoacomputerholdsthepromiseofgivingquadriplegicscontrolover
    artificiallimbs.Suchbionicmarvelswillincreasinglyfindtheirwayintoourlivesandourbodies.Wehave
    neverbeensoreplaceable.

    http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/theinsaneandexcitingfutureofthebionicbody918868/ 1/2
    3/4/2017 TheInsaneandExcitingFutureoftheBionicBody|Innovation|Smithsonian

    ImetMeyeronasummerdayinLondon,inthecourtyardofa19thcenturycookiefactory.Meyerisasocial
    psychologistattheUniversityofZurich,buthispersonalexperienceswithprostheticshaveinstilledinhima
    fascinationwithbionictechnology.Hesaysthepastfiveyears,inparticular,haveseenanexplosionof
    innovation.Aswechattedovercoffee,engineersworkedonanoveldemonstrationinanearbybuilding.During
    thepastfewmonths,theyhadbeengatheringprostheticlimbsandartificialorgansfromaroundtheworldtobe
    assembledintoasingle,artificialstructurenamedtheBionicMan.Youcanseethestartlingresultsina
    documentaryairingOctober20ontheSmithsonianChannel.

    EngineersdesignedtheBionicMantoenableseveralofitshumandependentpartstooperatewithoutabody.
    Forinstance,althoughtherobotisfittedwithilimbs,itdoesntpossessthenervoussystemorbraintomake
    themwork.Instead,theBionicMancanbecontrolledremotelyviaacomputerandspeciallydesigned
    interfacinghardware,whileaBluetoothconnectioncanbeusedtooperatetheilimbs.Nonetheless,therobot
    vividlyshowcaseshowmuchofourbodiescanbereplacedbycircuits,plasticandmetal.Addingtothe
    dramaticeffect,theBionicMansfaceisasiliconereplicaofMeyers.

    RichWalker,themanagingdirectoroftheproject,sayshisteamwasabletorebuildmorethan50percentofthe
    humanbody.Thelevelofprogressinbionicssurprisednotonlyhimbuteventheresearcherswhohadworked
    ontheartificialorgans,hesays.Althoughmultipleartificialorganscantyetfunctiontogetherinasingle
    humanbody,thescenariohasbecomerealisticenoughthatbioethicists,theologiansandothersarecontending
    withthequestion,Howmuchofahumanbeingcanbereplacedandstillbeconsideredhuman?Formany,the
    criterioniswhetheradeviceenhancesorinterfereswithapatientsabilitytorelatetootherpeople.Theres
    broadagreement,forinstance,thattechnologythatrestoresmotorfunctionstoastrokevictimorprovidessight
    totheblinddoesnotmakeapersonlesshuman.Butwhatabouttechnologythatcouldonedaytransformthe
    brainintoasemiorganicsupercomputer?Orendowpeoplewithsensesthatperceivewavelengthsoflight,
    frequenciesofsoundsandeventypesofenergythatarenormallybeyondourreach?Suchpeoplemightno
    longerbedescribedasstrictlyhuman,regardlessofwhethersuchenhancementsrepresentanimprovement
    overtheoriginalmodel.

    Page1of4

    http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/theinsaneandexcitingfutureofthebionicbody918868/ 2/2

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