I’ve said before, that we are already on a firm path to our human evolution into cyborgs. Already we have functional bionics and mechanical devices controlled by our thoughts.

Along with bionic implants, we are also starting to hear more about robotic/mechanical augmentation. Such as the the story at LiveScience about a new Stand-Alone Wearable Power Assist Suit which has been created to help nursing staff lift up patients, to 180 pounds.

Developed by Mineo Ishii at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology in Japan, the suit has a network of sensors that monitor the human wearer’s muscles and then use air pumps and inflatable cuffs that increase lifting strength. Even though the suit looks fairly bulky, it supports it’s own weight, and so feels like it adds no extra weight.

They do plan on increasing it’s flexibility over time, and as technology advances I’m sure the parts will get increasingly smaller, just as computers that filled entire rooms are now the size of a loaf of bread, or smaller.

I think this is just another example in a growing trend of human enhancements. As these types of systems are refined we will see them helping the elderly or disabled to walk again, extending the years of self-sufficiency and quality of life for many. My 93 year old grandfather has recently gotten to the point where he could really use something like this!

What happens when these systems are fitted with cameras, and other sensors that allow it to “see” it’s surrounds, and be able to avoid obstacles on it’s own? Or, perhaps hooked up to a GPS, the wearer could program it with a specific destination, and will be “driven” (walked) there in the most efficiently plotted course at that moment? Once the response time is dramatically increased, perhaps our military will be wearing suits like these, which can sense incoming fire, and then quickly dodge. Or new suits for firemen could sense a weak floor or other structure and move the fireman out of the way, or if they ARE hurt, the suit could help lift them out of a situation, and perhaps even map the safest exit route, and walk them out under the suits own power.

I have a feeling though, when we get to that point we will be sending in fully robotic units to do these types of dangerous tasks. However, humans will always want to be involved at some level, and so augmentation and cybernetics will give them a greater success rate, and there will always be the elderly and disabled who could certainly benefit from such enhancements.

October 14th, 2006
Categories: Cyborg . Author: rock808

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