How to build a bionic man

Rex the bionic man shows how close technology is to catching up with – and exceeding – the abilities of the human body.

He cuts a dashing figure, this gentleman: nearly seven feet tall, and possessed of a pair of striking brown eyes. With a fondness for Ralph Lauren, middle–class rap and sharing a drink with friends, Rex is, in many ways, an unexceptional chap.

Except that he is, in fact, a real–world bionic man. Housed within a frame of state–of–the–art prosthetic limbs is a functional heart–lung system, complete with artificial blood pumping through a network of pulsating modified–polymer arteries. He has a bionic spleen to clean the blood, and an artificial pancreas to keep his blood sugar on the level. Behind the deep brown irises are a pair of retinal implants, giving him a vista of the crowds of curious humans who meet his gaze.

To read this Guardian article in full click here.

• AI & Robotics
• Enhancement

There have been 0 replies to this Article. + Post your comment here.