io9: Cybernetics

Lasers power Pentagon’s next-gen artificial limbs

Katie Drummond - Danger Room — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 09:25:00 PDT

The Pentagon's already got brain-controlled prosthetics, and they are a major improvement over old-school artificial limbs. The devices are far from perfect, however. They rely on metal implants, which aren't compatible with the body's tissues, and they can only transmit a few signals at a time - turning what should be a simple movement into a Herculean task. More »

Computers can accelerate our collective intelligence to an unheard degree — but will that be a good thing?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:30:00 PDT

Over at FT.com, Tim O'Reilly has a must-read essay about the symbiosis between humans and computers. We're already propagating our knowledge and our culture at a much faster rate than in the past, he argues, and the next step is computers that can learn from "the activity of human teachers" but then notice things the humans wouldn't. He cites the example of Google's autonomous vehicle, which beats other self-driving cars because it can draw on all the experience of "millions of road miles put in by human drivers building the Google Street View database." More »

Japanese pregnancy simulator vest remains hilarious, disturbing

Cyriaque Lamar — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 07:30:00 PDT

Remember the Mommy Tummy, Kanagawa University's terrifically odd jacket that allows a fellow to become a human seahorse? Its creators have been taking the device on the road, showcasing its ability to simulate the development of a full-term baby in two minutes. My favorite part of all this is the unusually dire sign insisting that it is a "Serious Game." More »

We're closer to becoming real cyborgs than most people realize

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:30:00 PDT

In the New York Times the other day, there was a great story by Pagan Kennedy about experiments with brain-computer interfaces, which included the stuff you usually hear about, like people moving cursors with their minds. But it also included some new stuff, like Kennedy herself choosing a picture on her phone using just brainwaves — with no drilling into her skull required. And the novel idea of creating a kind of "brain esperanto," or a universal language for people to speak to computers with their minds. Are we a lot closer than we think to becoming true cyborgs, with our brains connected to computers at a fundamental level? [New York Times] More »

An Exclusive Excerpt from Max Barry's New Cyborg Novel, Machine Man

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:00:00 PDT

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Max Barry blew our minds with his dystopian future novel Jennifer Government, and now he's back with Machine Man, a cyborg novel that he premiered in a different form on his website last year. Darren Aronofsky is already attached to direct the movie version. More »

See an exoskeleton that helps paraplegics to walk (and other bionics) in motion

Cyriaque Lamar — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:30:00 PDT

PBS Newshour recently did a neat segment on the various advancements in medical bionics, such exoskeletons and biomimetic arms. The segment also featured amputee athlete Aimee Mullins, who's competed with carbon-fiber "cheetah leg" protheses. More »

This mechanical armpit just wants you to smell its robo-odor

Cyriaque Lamar — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:30:00 PDT

Here's concept art of a robotic armpit built by London designer Kevin Grennan, who's also constructed a prototype that's a smidge too gross for the front page. We're at the exciting frontier of stinky robots, dear readers.

"Mommy Tummy" pregnancy suit is like a Tamagotchi you strap to your torso

Cyriaque Lamar — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:00:00 PDT

Hey fellas, have you ever fantasized about being Arnold Schwarzenegger in Junior? No? Well, if you change your mind, try the Mommy Tummy, a computerized pregnancy simulator built by Japanese researchers. It's like hiring David Cronenberg to be your obstetrician! More »

Realistic animatronic eyeball will wig you out

Cyriaque Lamar — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:40:00 PDT

It's been a big week for mechanical disembodied eyeballs. First there was the office Eye of Sauron; now there's this squirm-inducing cyber-eye built by Dan Thomson of Visionary Effects. It's looking pretty bloodshot, being disconnected from a skull and whatnot. More »

Cybernetic exoskeleton creator flaunts this season's latest models

Cyriaque Lamar — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:21:30 PDT

Remember Cyberdyne's HAL exoskeleton that allows you to control a pair of robotic legs with your mind? Cyberdyne recently showcased several of these models in motion. Someday you too can sport a pair of cherry red super-calves. More »

The Greek engineer who invented the steam engine 2,000 years ago

Alasdair Wilkins — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 14:32:02 PST

Almost two millennia before the rest of humanity entered the industrial age, the Greek inventor Hero invented the steam engine, wind-powered machinery, and theories of light that couldn't be improved for centuries. And then he invented some really crazy stuff. More »

Watch a pair of cybernetic legs — that you control with your mind — in motion

Cyriaque Lamar — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 08:45:00 PST

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, journalist Evan Ackerman became the first person stateside to test Cyberdyne's HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) suit. Watch him take a stroll in this amazing mind-controlled exoskeleton. More »

Transcending the Human, DIY Style

John Borland -- Threat Level — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:00:00 PST

BERLIN - Lepht Anonym wants everyone to know the door to transcending normal human capabilities is no farther away than your own kitchen. It's just going to hurt like a sonofabitch. More »

Watch Iron Man 2's Agent Coulson test out a real-life exoskeleton

Cyriaque Lamar — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:22:00 PDT

Clark Gregg may not have have worn the suit in Iron Man 2, but in this video Gregg tries on Raytheon's XOS 2 exoskeleton — it's more or less a battlefield version of Ripley's power loader. More »

Why have a wheelchair when you could have ED-209?

Cyriaque Lamar — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:10:12 PDT

This fuRo Core personal transport from the Chiba Institute of Technology is 6'6″ and 507 lbs. Core developer Takayuki Furuta suffered from spinal cord disease when he was younger and was inspired by Astro Boy to study robotics. More »

Cybernetic penis allows everyone to pack a package (NSFW)

Cyriaque Lamar — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:40:00 PDT

Hiromi Ozaki's Penis Cybernetique is a prosthetic John Thomas that rises and falls with the user's heart rate. It emulates what it's like to sport a penis, albeit one that was rendered on an Atari 2600. NSFW for geometric nudity. More »

The cybernetic zoology of Vladimir Kush

Cyriaque Lamar — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:30:00 PDT

Do you want to see an elephant with a tuba for a head? Of course you do. In the following paintings, Vladimir Kush takes combines wildlife with bric-a-brac. And look at that antelope's lyre-horns! [Vladimir Kush via Sentient Developments] More »

Everything You Need To Know About Movie/TV Cyborgs In One Giant Chart

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:00:00 PDT

Which movie cyborg brought in the most money? Are you more likely to be turned into a cyborg by the military, or an evil corporation? A new infographic about cyborgs on television and movies from Online Schools reveals all! More »

Do Cyborgs Dream Of Co-Ed Hot Showers?

Charlie Jane Anders — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:55:02 PDT

The 1990 film Hardware, aka M.A.R.K. 13, might have been trying to be the Terminator of the 1990s, but it was mostly forgettable. Except for this cyborg shower scene. That cyber-hand is great for lathering. [via Bonniegrrl on Twitter] More »

Is There Any Noun You Can't Put "Cyber" In Front Of? Roger Ebert Wants To Know!

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:30:00 PDT

Film critic Roger Ebert caused two Internet firestorms yesterday. One was when he expressed his distaste for Kick-Ass. The other was when he asked whether there was "any noun that does not accept the prefix 'cyber?'" And William Gibson responded. More »

Photographer Documents Melting Icecaps, Celebrates Our Cyborg Evolution

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:30:00 PST

Photographer James Balog is best known for his death-defying trips to Iceland, Greenland and Alaska, where he's documented the melting icecaps using photos and time-lapse images. But he's also made stunning images of cyborgs and "techno sapiens." More »

The Cyborg Exoskeletons Of The Future Take To The Streets

StephenGoldmeier — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:00:00 PDT

Three employees of Japan's Cyberdyne robotics company recently demonstrated a new "people-assisting" device: an exoskeleton that could help injured or disabled people walk. The system is called "HAL 5," and three prototypes of the technology paraded through Tokyo this week. More »

Replacement Joint Coating Brings Us One Step Closer To The Reign Of The Cybermen

StephenGoldmeier — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:05:00 PDT

Scientists in Israel have come up with a way to cover prosthetics and joint replacements with a human tissue-like coating. A new application of a 200 year old electroplating process might be the future of complication-free joint replacements. More »

Japan Is Creating Your Future Cyborg Overlords Right Now

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:40:00 PDT

Wow, I don't know what's crazier — that there's a Japanese company called Cyberdyne, or the fact that it's creating cyborg limbs that look sort of like 1960s Cybermen. Or maybe the fact that its cyborg limbs are called "Human Assistive Limb," or HAL for short. What's next? The Brilliant Organ Replacement Group? It's like they're announcing that we're doomed. It's bad enough that Skynet already exists. More pics below the fold. More »

Son Of "Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?"

Terry Johnson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:00:00 PDT

Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson any question you want — no matter how weird. There seems to be a strong correlation between my posting an article on a subject, and my RSS feeds filling up with exciting new research, which I then wish I'd been able to include. The usual post-article deluge of goodness, combined with the poster for a Neuromancer movie practically forced me to revisit the burning question: Where are my cybernetic implants? More »

Where Are My Cybernetic Implants?

Terry Johnson — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:00:00 PDT

A reader who would like to remain anonymous asks:

As a disabled person whose body is basically falling apart (details too gross to go into), I've been wondering for a long time when I can get my cyborg transformation underway. What's the status of materials that are compatible with being implanted in the body?

First of all, Anonymous, my best wishes. I hope that the next advance coming 'round the bend is a comfort to you. There are two fundamental approaches to organ-level repair: the biological approach, which includes transplants and tissue engineered organs, or what we'll call the cybernetic approach, which creates replacements out of artificial materials capable of appropriately interacting with the body. Keeping this in mind, let's take a look at the cutting edge of human-machine interfaces. More »

Real "Iron Man" Suits are Coming, but are Just the Beginning

Michael Reilly — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:33:00 PDT

"Iron Man" fans rejoice: real exoskeletons are coming. Japanese company Cyberdyne has plans to start selling their model, the HAL-5 Robot Suit later this year. The American company Sarcos has its own prototype out, too, so the race is on for new generations of exoskeletons that can do everything humans an do, only better (and fly, too). But while you're watching videos of the two exos performing jaw-dropping feats of strength, MIT biomechatronics researcher Hugh Herr is getting ready to blow your mind by building building prosthetic limbs that could have all the super powers of exos. For the moment he's focused on helping people with disabilities, but he thinks it won't be long before we'll be implanting "bions" inside our body and considering swapping out our biological legs for the shiny new pair in the storefront window. More »

Animal-Cyborg Soccer Slaves Of 2178

charliejane — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:00:23 PST

This new ad for Puma's v1.08 soccer boot freaks me out. In the year 2178, soccer players will have their legs ripped off and replaced with weird cyber-horse legs, so they can trot around and do kangaroo jumps for the amusement of their beer-swilling orthohuman masters. Until then, the ad says, the closest you can get to being a deformed cyber-beast athlete is to buy Puma's newest model. It's just the latest in a long line of freaky dystopian adverts. More »

Licensing Problems Wreck Bionic Woman's Cyber-Limbs

charliejane — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:21:04 PDT

Why are there no cool cybernetic limbs (like on the left) in the new Bionic Woman TV show? Many of us speculated that the creators thought nanobots were cooler, and regular old cyborgs were too old-school. But it turns out the answer has more to do with legalities, according to creator David Eick: More »

Must See: The Six Million Dollar Man

charliejane — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:55:13 PDT

Must-see TV shows are futuristic classics that shouldn't be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That's why we've rated them 1-5 on the patented "crunchy goodness" scale. More »