Logic would dictate that I start the discussion of how individuals can control their cybernetic additions starting with the technologies that are of the lowest tech. (i.e. voice command, buttons, muscle control) However, these relatively low tech solutions aren't in the news as much as their high-tech counterparts. The higher tech, or at least, more far fetched technique of controlling things with your mind, is more of a hot topic right now.
But before I begin, I would like to make a statement about new or emerging technologies in general. The apex of my vision of a cybernetic future is one in which individuals will have the option of having a totally artificial body. If you're familiar with Ghost in The Shell, and I hope that you are, then you know what I'm talking about. A human brain encased in a robotic body;
stronger, faster, better. Be bullet proof. See in the dark. Hear a whisper in the next room. Communicate telepathically through the internet. Fall twenty stories, and not be hurt. Leap twenty feet into the air. Never get tired, or old, or fat. We seem a long way off, but the first airplane only flew for twelve seconds for a distance of 120 feet. That's about six miles per hour. (Wikipedia:Wright_Flyer) So understand that the infantile technologies that I talk about will grow up one day. And don't expect it to take a hundred years, either. Technology is advancing at an exponential rate.
There are different methods of deciding what a user's brain wants. The most radical involves reading information directly from the brain itself, in real time. This can be done, for example, with external sensors that detect the electrical currents running through our brains. Or, for an even more direct approach, sensors can be inserted below the skin, below the skull, or within the brain itself. And, with prosthetics used to replace missing limbs, control can be achieved by tying electronics into the nervous system. And let's not forget, there is of course the possibility of placing a brain entirely within a robotic body.
So does all this sound pretty far fetched? Robotic limbs controlled by our brains? Computers that can read our minds? It sure does sound pretty
fantastical, but it's not. Let's start with the most outlandish, placing a brain into a robotic body. Let me again refer to the work Ghost in The Shell. Many of the characters in this work are what the author calls "full cyborgs" - people who have had their entire bodies replaced with robotics - only their brain and sometimes spinal cord remain.
Well, we may not be able to do that with humans, yet, but remember what I said about new technologies. Eight years ago, scientists were able to place the brain of an eel into a robot. The eel brain drove the robot around. I'm going to take a moment to let that sink in. What? You haven't
leapt out of your chair in amazement yet? Perhaps the simplicity of those two sentences have belied the importance of that statement. An eel brain was removed from its body and placed into a robot. The eel brain controlled the robot's movements. Think I'm making this up? Here's a link. BBC NEWS:Fish-brained robot at Science Museum. (John Stewart of The Daily Show has more: The Daily Show:Fish-Brain-Robot) So now that you have this little bit of information, there is no longer a question as to whether or not a brain - a conscious mind - can be successfully placed into a robotic body. Now, can you or I pull a Robo-cop maneuver today? No, not any more than George Washington could take a plane trip to Los Angeles. But I did take a plane trip to Los Angelas. I got there in about six hours. So even if it does take over a century or two for technology to progress that far, why shouldn't it one day be possible to live in a robot body?
But before I begin, I would like to make a statement about new or emerging technologies in general. The apex of my vision of a cybernetic future is one in which individuals will have the option of having a totally artificial body. If you're familiar with Ghost in The Shell, and I hope that you are, then you know what I'm talking about. A human brain encased in a robotic body;
stronger, faster, better. Be bullet proof. See in the dark. Hear a whisper in the next room. Communicate telepathically through the internet. Fall twenty stories, and not be hurt. Leap twenty feet into the air. Never get tired, or old, or fat. We seem a long way off, but the first airplane only flew for twelve seconds for a distance of 120 feet. That's about six miles per hour. (Wikipedia:Wright_Flyer) So understand that the infantile technologies that I talk about will grow up one day. And don't expect it to take a hundred years, either. Technology is advancing at an exponential rate.There are different methods of deciding what a user's brain wants. The most radical involves reading information directly from the brain itself, in real time. This can be done, for example, with external sensors that detect the electrical currents running through our brains. Or, for an even more direct approach, sensors can be inserted below the skin, below the skull, or within the brain itself. And, with prosthetics used to replace missing limbs, control can be achieved by tying electronics into the nervous system. And let's not forget, there is of course the possibility of placing a brain entirely within a robotic body.
So does all this sound pretty far fetched? Robotic limbs controlled by our brains? Computers that can read our minds? It sure does sound pretty fantastical, but it's not. Let's start with the most outlandish, placing a brain into a robotic body. Let me again refer to the work Ghost in The Shell. Many of the characters in this work are what the author calls "full cyborgs" - people who have had their entire bodies replaced with robotics - only their brain and sometimes spinal cord remain.Well, we may not be able to do that with humans, yet, but remember what I said about new technologies. Eight years ago, scientists were able to place the brain of an eel into a robot. The eel brain drove the robot around. I'm going to take a moment to let that sink in. What? You haven't
leapt out of your chair in amazement yet? Perhaps the simplicity of those two sentences have belied the importance of that statement. An eel brain was removed from its body and placed into a robot. The eel brain controlled the robot's movements. Think I'm making this up? Here's a link. BBC NEWS:Fish-brained robot at Science Museum. (John Stewart of The Daily Show has more: The Daily Show:Fish-Brain-Robot) So now that you have this little bit of information, there is no longer a question as to whether or not a brain - a conscious mind - can be successfully placed into a robotic body. Now, can you or I pull a Robo-cop maneuver today? No, not any more than George Washington could take a plane trip to Los Angeles. But I did take a plane trip to Los Angelas. I got there in about six hours. So even if it does take over a century or two for technology to progress that far, why shouldn't it one day be possible to live in a robot body?But even if you don't choose to discard your current, fleshy residence, there are still options for
brain control of your cybernetic accessories. How about a fancy hat that will tell your pet robot when he's doing what he's supposed to? Popular Mechanics:Brain-Powered Robot Servant It's not exactly the same as driving around a little robot car like our fishy friend, or controlling a robotic body like in Ghost in The Shell, but it will get there.If you're not into the colorful headdress, you could opt for some electrodes that go right into your brain. These monkeys did it, and it's pretty sweet. New Scientist:Robo-Monkeys Actually, sweet might not be the right word. I watched a video from The Discovery Channel of one of the monkeys in action. It didn't seem like the little guy was in any pain, but it wasn't easy for me to watch. PETA is probably pissed about this. But, if you think you can stomach it, here it is. YouTube:Money With Robot Arm (*See below). So there it is. Brain implants can, and do, control cybernetic prosthetics.
But it's not just monkeys. People are getting in on the act too. I'm not going to go into great detail about prosthetics here. That's for the next section. Just know that by connecting wires directly to nerves, and then amplifying the signals they produce, external devices can be controlled by the human mind.
Muscle control, and voice command have been around for a couple decades, now. If you've seen some one with a robotic prosthetic, like an arm or hand, chances are it's movement is controlled by the user's muscles. He or she will flex or relax muscles that still remain in the amputation area, and sensors within the prosthetic will either pick up the pressure of the muscle's movement, the electrical impulses created by the nerves connected to those muscles, or a combination. Voice command is becoming more popular, now that the technology has improved. Chances are, you already have the option to use voice command on the computer you're using right now. Microsoft Office XP products, such as Microsoft Office 2002, or Microsoft Excel 2002, include the necessary software. Microsoft:Speech Recognition with Windows XP. Ever call Microsoft Xbox Technical Support? Voice command. And my spiffy little Bluetooth Ear piece. I simply tap the button, and after the tone, if I say "Home", it calls home. Amazing yes, but old news.
Now that we have discussed control of cybernetic devices, we will next discuss some of the technologies that will be, can be, or have been, integrated into the human body.
*(Since my goal is to begin to discuss the ethical and philosophical questions that a cybernetically enhanced humanity will create, I feel that it would be prudent to point out the ethical background of the author of these essays. I have recently come to understand that I am rule utilitarian. When it comes to animal ethics and environmentalism, I am somewhere between being a green environmentalist and a deep green environmentalist. I'm not a tree hugger, but maybe I should be.)
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