Something straight out of the pages of Ghost in the Shell, Kevin Warwick experiments on himself and connects his nerves to a computer that outputs his actions to a robot thousands of miles away.
The University of Reading cybernetics professor had successfully wired the nerves of his forearm to a computer in New York City’s Columbia University and networked them to a robotic system back in his Reading, England, lab. “My body was effectively extended over the Internet,” Warwick says.
He hopes to have a sensor implanted in his brain by 2015 that will allow him to send signals across a computer network. Of course, a Brown University team has already moved the goalposts much closer: In 2006 researchers reported that a 25-year-old quadriplegic man had guided a computer cursor and moved a prosthetic arm via a brain implant. Warwick may have trouble finding a doctor to implant a similar device without a compelling medical reason, points out Charles Higgins, an associate professor of electrical engineering and neurobiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Warwick’s experiments haven’t been on a lot of mainstream websites. He probably flies under the radar because he is doing these experiments on himself without grants and such. Very remarkable what he is doing. It is similar to surgeons in one continent doing operations in another. But the level of intricacies with the sense of touch is stellar. I hope more people follow suit – not necessarily in the self experimenting path, but the cybernetic nano technology way. I think cybernetics with nanochips are overall better for humanity than artificial intelligence.
Original article from Scientific America
I saw Kevin Warwick in his documentary that I saw in passing months ago and now, thankfully, I’ve stumbled upon him and it again. He talks in depth about his belief about where cybernetics is going in the future. His documentary “Building Gods” (you MUST see this) he talks about how nanochips will lead the way to improving on human design. I won’t even try to sum it up – you have to see it. Notice how stone-cold serious his demeanor is about this.
Warrick the Cyborg
I’m going to try to find Warwick’s Building Gods documentary and post it. Check back soon.
