In April, we wrote about the potential widespread use of drones in the United States, Drones Over America: Coming to an Airspace Near You. The drivers behind this “revolution” would be law enforcement agencies, crop dusters, journalists and even the paparazzi.
But with all the interest and privacy concerns focused on robotic drones, we are missing a development that could have an even greater impact: cyborgs. The New Scientist has produced a fascinating video that details how scientists are remotely controlling live insects and why these cyborgs hold such promise or threat, depending on your point of view: “The motivation is simple: why labour for years to build robots that imitate the ways animals move when you can just plug into living creatures and hijack systems already optimised by millions of years of evolution?”
It’s not just insects. Researchers have developed ways to remote control rats, pigeons and even sharks.
By sending signals to a robotic exoskeleton, a paralyzed woman can now walk:
Human Cyborgs: The Thin Line Between Man and Machine from on FORA.tv
Image courtesy of James Bowe
