The world is changing. Very Fast. And it’s pretty hard to catch up.
And while we’re still trying to wrap our heads around the super-awesomeness of wearables and the different ways we can use them to enhance our lives .... a whole new dimension is here: The Arrival of Internables
Really Cool Wearables
From smartwatches, smart garments to fitness trackers, wearables have been dominating the tech space lately.
Initially thought as a passing fad, wearable tech is gradually becoming a trend that’s here to stay. A March 2016 report by Ericcson Consumer Lab has reported that wearables’ users are rapidly increasing. With many of the respondents looking forward to even better sophistication in the near future – say 2020.
In fact, it is posited that wearables will take over smartphones in usage and become the ultimate Personal device.
As humans, we are naturally wired to seek shortcuts -better ways of living better lives, cutting out time spent on chores and maximizing our productivity. And the power to augment our sensory abilities with powerful tech is too attractive to be ignored.
A really cool wearable I discovered is the Sgnl smart strap - a body conduction unit that seeks to replace tiny speakers used in calls. This is done by transmitting vibrations from the wrist through the hand.
To answer a call, we either use a wireless headset or bring up the phone towards the cheek. As depicted in the picture above, the smart strap seeks to form speakers on the fingers tips. This is done by transmitting vibrations through the hand. This vibration then becomes amplified sounds on touching the ear.
Compatible with most smartwatches, the smart strap developed by Innomdle Lab has successfully raised $464,329 on Kickstarter. An amount far more than the $50,000 goal with 31 days to go.
Another cool wearable released last month is the smart skin interface- DuoSkin - a product made by MIT in partnership with Microsoft. It allows temporary tattoos that change based on skin temperature and also interact with smartphones.
The extent of how cool this trend will be can only be imagined. Coupled with the rise of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) trend, the possibilities are endless.
Yet, despite the fact that the wearables market is still in the early phase with a lot of new users still having complaints on the current set of wearables available, we’re already witnessing the rise of a new trend - Internables
A 2016 Consumer Trend: Internables Are the New Cool
An Ericsson Consumer Insight Summary Report released in December 2015 fore casted 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2016. No 8 on the list is Internables – internal sensors that augment sense and capabilities.
A major reason why a lot of smartphone users don’t fancy wearables is the public awkwardness associated with wearing them. E.g Many people find it unfashionable to use Google glass.
What if we no longer need to wear body-monitoring tech devices? What happens if these augmenting devices are in the body?
The Sky is Gray. And TV is Black and White. The Man Who Listens To Color
Born color blind, Neil Harbisson was only able to see the gray side of life. Everything was gray to him and he only saw TV in black and white. Imagine a lifetime of seeing a gray, dull sky. :(
In 2013, after several years of lobbying and research, he finally succeeded in implanting eyeborg – a metallic device which includes an antenna implanted in his skull.
The eyeborg - a color sensor that detects the color frequency in front of him and sends it to a chip inserted at the back of his head. He then hears the color through the bone – bone conduction.
Now, Neil can perceive 360 human colors and even more colors (infrared and ultraviolet rays) that the human eye can not perceive. Making him one of the first human cyborgs on the earth surface.
He got so used to the device that he felt it was part of him.
You should really watch this TEDx talk he gave a couple of years ago.
Very interesting and funny. Here’s a quote: Before I use to dress in a way that looks good. Now, I dress in a way that sounds good.
The Earthquake Lady
Intrigued with the excitement from having a superpower, Moon Ribas implanted a tiny magnet in her arm. This magnet receives data from a custom iPhone app to give her a unique superpower – The ability to feel the movements of the earth (tremors and earthquakes) anywhere on earth in real time.
While many might consider this queer, Moon believes that the modification has helped her feel more connected to the earth and also to people affected by earthquakes.
Interestingly, together with Neil – the man with the eyeborg and a number of collaborators, they started a company that’s launching a mainstream implantable device – The North sense - that gives human beings the animal powers of truly sensing North.
Biohackers – Body Augmentation and The New SuperPowers
Surprisingly, the concept of gaining new superpowers isn't a new trend, a group of nerds called bio-hackers have been extending their sensory abilities for years now.
For example, in 2014, MIT researchers wondered how it would look and feel like to have two extra fingers. To try this, they armed Faye Wu, a graduate student with 2 robot fingers that gave her more functionalities e.g pick heavy objects easily.
The rise of the cyberpunk/grinders movement has also brought more attention to bio-hacking. Pioneers like Amal (the man in the TEDx video above) are implanting chips that help do simple things like unlocking office doors through RFID tags and a host of other cool body-sensor augmenting hacks.
THE Possibilities: Medical, Workplace etc
Beyond the geeky trend and cool superhuman powers grinders get from implanting small bio-safe devices in their bodies, experts think Internables might be the go to device in the future.
The possibilities are endless, especially in the Health and Fintech sector.
Implanted NFC chips can be used to secure our Online banking accounts. Without ever having the need to remember passwords.
Or a pill to be taken F1 race drivers that will measure their temperature
Or a bionic device that can help diabetes patients better monitor and regulate their blood sugar levels.
The opportunities are many! Maybe we’re eventually going to do away with the Pebbles and Fitbits of this world.
Imagine! What will happen when we stop developing apps for our phones and start developing cool apps for our bodies?
The Moral Question
“I modified my body, to modify my mind” – Moon Ribas
To a geek, augmenting one’s sensory abilities is a cool activity. However, not all people feel that way. Health regulatory bodies are trying to play safe. In fact, it took Harbisson 10 years to convince a Spanish bioethics board . And he failed.
Not until he found a young surgeon who shared his frontiersman spirit to do the surgery on the condition of anonymity.
Several people believe it's unnatural. A way of changing the natural process of nature. Will there be huge negative side-effects of these implants on human health? Time will tell as this can't be noticed until several months of research and testing.
In all, here’s a quote by Hackaday that I found to be a perfect closing statement.
Whatever your personal thoughts are on human augmentation, it’s undeniable that the technology already exists to make it a reality. Grinders are already doing it. The only questions are what they’ll come up with next, and whether you’re going to join them.
Here is a toast to a future where we all are cyborgs ;). Lol.
It’s been quite a while I wrote a post save for SteemMag. I write every now and then on topics – (AI, Economics, Psychology and all things tech) - that pique my curiosity. And I'm glad to be back.
Would love to hear from you. Are you comfortable with having an implant in you? and which superpower would you like to have? :)
Sources:
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/wearable-gadgets/
https://www.ericsson.com/thinkingahead/consumerlab/consumer-insights/wearable-technology-and-the-internet-of-things
http://newatlas.com/sgnl-smart-strap/45190/
https://wtvox.com/wearables/mit-temporary-tattoo/
https://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2015/consumerlab/ericsson-consumerlab-10-hot-consumer-trends-2016-report.pdf
http://qz.com/716095/this-company-will-help-you-become-a-cyborg-one-implanted-sense-at-a-time/
http://qz.com/677218/this-woman-a-self-described-cyborg-can-sense-every-earthquake-in-real-time/
http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/07/robotic-glove-gives-you-extra-fingers-for-grabbing/
http://hackaday.com/2015/10/12/cyberpunk-yourself-body-modification-augmentation-and-grinders/
http://www.g2innovation.com.au/blog/future-trend-internables
http://hackaday.com/2015/10/12/cyberpunk-yourself-body-modification-augmentation-and-grinders/