A man named Neil Harbisson is the first ever cyborg. He grew up in Catalonia, Spain. He was diagnosed with achromatopsia. He cannot see color; he lives in a world of black and white.
Beginning in 2004 Harbisson had wanted to develop a technology that could create a unique sensory experience. Neil had been studying sound at Dartington College of Arts. That is where him and his colleagues first began the formation of the “eyeborg.” The apparatus is an antenna attached to a 5 kilogram computer and pair of headphones. The webcam at the end of the antenna translates each color into 360 different sound waves, allowing Harbisson to hear the colors. The antenna he currently wears is implanted into his skull that stretches out over the back of his head to his forehead.
Once Harbisson adjusted to the antenna he was able to decipher normal colors and colors such as infrared and ultraviolet.
Harbisson perceived the world much differently than an ordinary person. “I thought black people were black, but they’re not. They’re very very dark orange and people who say they’re white are very very light orange,” Harbisson said.
It had taken Harbisson months on end to find someone willing to do the surgery to implant his antenna. After undergoing the surgery it took months for the bone and antenna to fuse.
As of now Harbisson can even listen to a song and unveil what color each note is.
Harbisson is not the only cyborg. There is the Google Glass and the Narrative Chip, which is an automatic wearable camera that captures your life.
The Google Glass appears as glasses, and once worn it acts as a hands free smartphone.
The issue is not with developing the technology but with acceptance.
“People are afraid of the unknown. They tend to exaggerate or be very negative about the possible consequences of what is new to them,” Harbisson said.
It could very well become a social norm for people to have technology implanted. Dealing with Neil Harbisson, he has also been able to upgrade so that he can make calls and access the internet through his antenna.
“It will become normal to have tech inside our bodies or have it implanted. I think it just needs time,” Harbisson said.
The future may lead to a varying population of cyborgs, but it is the rest of the population that has to be prepared.
Image Courtesy of theguardian.com