AutomatonPerhaps one day we'll be able to shop online for bionic body devices like soccer-programmed prosthetic legs or Google neural interfaces, but in the meantime check out Spectrum's Bionic Body Shop below to see the medical devices that are already out there (or almost).
The "shop" is part of our special report on the Singularity, the positive-feedback techno-explosion that will spring smarter-than-human intelligence into existence and make us invincible, or kill us. But here's the big question: Is the digital Apollo below wearing a Speedo or what?
The Bionic Body Shop
Advanced medical devices are the tools that enable humans and robots to merge, perhaps signalling the dawn of a technological singularity. How close are we now? Take a tour and shop around--we've been cramming more intricate engineering into our bodies than you might think.
Note: Costs are estimates and can vary widely from patient to patient; images are representative and may differ from actual devices. Sources: Cyberdyne; Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems; Cyberonics; Deka Research & Development Corp.; Digital Angel; Given Imaging; Let Them Hear Foundation; Mark Kroll; Medtronic; National Pain Foundation; Otologics; Otto Bock; Ossur; Paul Holtzheimer; Second Sight Medical Products; Scott Shikora; Synapse Biomedical; Thoratec; Touch Bionics. Animation: Bryan Christie Design
PS: Can't read the text in the Flash animation? A larger version is here.
Editor: Erico Guizzo
Contributor: Mikell Taylor
Contributor: Markus Waibel
Contributor: John Palmisano
See also