World-Famous Cyborgs Who Implant Devices Into Their Bodies

The act of implanting cybernetic devices into the human body to enhance abilities is called biohacking, and the people who do it are called cyborgs. Here are some world-famous cyborgs.

Neil Harbisson

One of the most famous cyborgs. He walks around with an antenna on his head that looks like an insect antenna. Neil Harbisson, a British artist, also holds the title of the world’s first officially recognized cyborg. He even managed to get permission to take his passport photo with the antenna on his head, even though it is normally forbidden.

Harbisson was born with a rare type of color blindness called achromatopsia. He can perceive life only in black and white. To solve this, he placed an antenna at the back of his head. The antenna, which sits in front of his eyes and is connected to a camera, converts colors, which are light waves, into audible frequencies. The color spectrum Harbisson hears now ranges between low notes that represent dark red and high notes that represent purple. Harbisson says “I don’t see colors, I hear them,” and he founded the Cyborg Foundation for people who need it.

Harbisson is also highly skilled at playing the piano, and below there is a TED talk where he says he listens to colors.

Stelarc

An Australian academic and also a performance artist. After a 10-year process, he succeeds in creating a third ear implant on his left arm. This implant, added to his body in 2007, is the result of a project carried out with three plastic surgeons. Right now, this ear continues to function as a living organ that is compatible with cells and has its own blood circulation. Of course, it does not have the ability to hear. However, thanks to a tiny microphone placed in the ear, an internet connection can be established anywhere there is Wi-Fi.

Stelarc

Moon Ribas

She is a performance artist. A special device is implanted into her left arm so she can feel earthquakes happening around the world. This device is custom-made and can communicate with all geological monitors worldwide through a specially built smartphone. Depending on the magnitude of the earthquake, Ribas’s arm shakes. She performs her art by turning the tremors she feels in her arm into dance choreographies. Ribas, who says “I changed my body to change my mind,” says that during the 7.8 earthquake in Nepal she was shaken so strongly that she jumped out of bed.

She says seismic movements have turned into a second heartbeat for her, and below there is a choreography and an interview she created together with the tremors.

Tim Cannon

A biohacking specialist and one of the founders of Grindhouse Wetware, Tim Cannon earned the title of the first person to equip himself with a body sensor in 2013. The body sensor called Circadia was placed under the skin and regularly sent Cannon’s pulse and body temperature to his smartphone. Circadia could be wirelessly charged, had an LED status light just under the skin, and could even illuminate the tattoo on his arm. After a while, Circadia was removed from the body. Tim Cannon says the purpose of Circadia and all other implants is to hack evolution.

Tim Cannon

Saying that his biggest childhood dream was to become a robot, Tim Cannon also explains that his next goal is to produce an artificial heart.

Rich Lee

He has a speaker installed that allows him to listen to music and talk on the phone using an electromagnetic coil worn on the neck and positioned at the ear. He plans to modify his implants to gain an echolocation sense similar to bats. He also currently has implants in five other parts of his body. The implant on the front of his arm that measures body temperature is also quite interesting. The implants in his fingers have magnetic properties. What he is working on right now is a groin implant. According to him, the purpose of this implant is to create a Viagra-like effect through vibrations sent from the groin to the penis. He named the implant Lovetron 9000.

Rob Spence

As a child, he loses an eye due to shotgun pellets. After years of work, he manages to develop a bionic eye for himself. This eye is called Eyeborg. It has the ability to record 24 hours a day. This implanted eye is also recorded as the only eye in the world with a wireless camera feature. The eye emits a red LED light, which makes Rob Spence look like the Terminator.

Rob Spence

Jerry Jalava

He is a computer programmer. After a motorcycle accident, he loses his left index finger and replaces it with a special prosthetic that contains memory storage.

Jerry Jalava

Kevin Warwick

He is an academic known as Captain Cyborg. Thanks to a chip implanted into his arm and connected to nerves, he can establish a digital connection with the building he lives in. For example, he can operate devices in his office by sending commands through the chip in his body. He did not stop there. He also implanted other chips that send signals based on people’s emotions. He also works on producing chips for paralyzed people.

There is a video where he explains his work.

A Standardized Option: North Sense

Getting an implant usually requires long research and is expensive. Still, there are companies that standardize this and produce it in a way that can reach anyone who wants it. For example, Cyborg Nest. They developed a product called North Sense. Implanted into the body with permanent metal bar piercings, North Sense provides a magnetic sensing ability. In other words, it is a small compass about the size of a matchbox, rechargeable via USB, that vibrates when you face north. If you do not mount it into your body, you can also hold it in your hand and use it like a compass. But that goes against the philosophy of the concept, because the goal is for the tool to merge with the body. It can be implanted into any part of the body.

There is also a test done by someone who had the chip implanted. Whether it is successful is up to you.