Field: Bionics
MIT engineers design flexible “skeletons” for soft, muscle-powered robots
New modular, spring-like devices maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid bots.
This bionic hand is fused to a woman’s bones, muscles, and nerves
A new way of merging the body with a bionic hand provided a woman with more control over her prosthetic and less phantom limb pain.
Adding spider DNA to silkworms creates silk stronger than Kevlar
Spider silk is strong and tough, but hard to farm. Silkworm silk is easy to farm, but not that strong. What if we could combine the two?
Brain-computer interfaces could let soldiers control weapons with their thoughts
Brain-computer interfaces raise many ethical questions about how and whether they should be used for certain applications — including war.
New “biohybrid” machines weave electronics with living cells
By combining combine genetic and electrical engineering, scientists have developed a new technique for wiring electronics into living matter.
New VR body suit lets you see inside your body while you exercise
A system for monitoring motion and muscle engagement could aid the elderly and athletes during physical rehabilitation.
Brain-zapping tech improves memory by more than 50%
A brain-zapping "memory prosthesis" funded by DARPA improved trial participants' ability to retain new information by more than 50%.
Lightweight bionic zaps muscles to help you walk longer, faster
The AI-powered Neural Sleeve electrically stimulates the leg muscles to help people with mobility issues walk faster and longer.
You can “see the future” with these smart contact lenses
Mojo Vision’s smart contact lens has finally made the leap to human testing, bringing the future of AR a major step closer.
Can your mind ever “own” an extra body part?
A robotic finger can feel like a part of our hand after just a short time using it, suggesting that our brains can "own" extra body parts.
Augmented reality will give us superpowers
Virtual and augmented reality have had false starts, but AR eyewear will soon replace the smartphone as our interface for digital content.
Man builds his own bionic hand out of melted plastic bottles
After creating a bionic hand for himself, Peruvian engineer Enzo Romero launched a company to sell the low-cost prosthetics to others.
Bedridden woman stands again thanks to spinal implant
A spinal cord stimulator is helping a woman who was bedridden for 18 months because she fainted every time she stood up regain her mobility.
How close are we to curing blindness?
New approaches to curing blindness are heralding a future in which fewer people have to live life completely in the dark.
Robot fish are powered by lab-grown human heart cells
A robot fish that uses human heart cells to swim has put scientists one step closer to growing full-size hearts in the lab.
Bionic pacemaker causes heart to beat irregularly — on purpose
A new bionic pacemaker improved blood flow in animal studies by using the lungs to reintroduce lost heart rate variability.
Bionic eye implants enable a blind person to see again
Doctors successfully implanted a microchip in a woman's retina, restoring some vision to her blind eye.
Experimental bionic eye is ready for human trials
An experimental bionic eye designed to help restore vision in people with retinal degeneration is ready for human trials.
MIT’s new bionics center may usher in our cyborg future
MIT has established a new bionics research center to help people everywhere overcome the challenges of disabilities.
New bionic arm is incredibly close to the real thing
A new bionic arm is so intuitive, wearers think and behave like people without amputations while using it to perform everyday tasks.
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Challengers
26-year-old builds $8,000 mind-controlled bionic arms
Bionic arms used to cost $80,000. Now, a young engineer has lowered the cost by over 90%.
Many amputees couldn’t afford a bionic arm — until now
Indian startup Makers Hive has developed a bionic arm that’s not only 90% cheaper than most, but also more functional.
You can now order a 3D printed, mind-controlled prosthetic arm
By scanning amputees’ limbs with a 3D scanner, Unlimited Tomorrow is making custom prosthetic arms that can be controlled with the mind.
The material that could help humans become cyborgs
Coating implantable electronics in the polymer PEDOT can extend their life, which could make cyborgs more common in the future.
We’re one step closer to a bionic, prosthetic eye
A prosthetic eye may soon be possible, thanks to new research that demonstrates how to stimulate the brain to “see.”
How a paralympic swimmer helps advance AI bionic limbs
Morgan Stickney shares about her experimental Ewing amputations and training for the 2024 Paralympics.
Developing a better mind-controlled prosthetic hand
This new technique allows a person to control their prosthetic hand precisely and in real-time by amplifying the nerve signals from their residual limb.
Building an artificially intelligent, open-source prosthetic leg
We've come a long way since the first prosthetic leg, and "smart" limbs, equipped with computing capabilities and...
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Biohackers
The cyborg artist who hears color
Neil Harbisson was born colorblind. Now he has an antenna implant in his skill to hear color and create beautiful works of art.
Run faster, think better: Hugh Herr on the future of bionics
Hugh Herr, head of Biomechatronics research at MIT and hailed as a bionic pioneer, is working to close the gap between synthetic limbs and the brain.
Scientists engineered “cyborg grasshoppers” to sniff out bombs
By implanting electrodes into the brains of grasshoppers, scientists were able to harness the insects’ sense of smell for the purpose of explosive detection.
Biohacker’s prosthetic arm lets him play a synthesizer with his mind
Biohacker Bertolt Meyer has built the SynLimb, a controller that attaches to his prosthetic arm, allowing him to control his modular synthesizer with his mind.
9 ways the 2010s decade changed the world
From Tinder to CRISPR, these are the top moments, movements, and ideas through which the 2010s decade shaped the world as we know it.
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Superhuman
Electric skin gives sensation back to amputees
Touch is a sensation that connects us all. This scientist created electronic skin that lets people with prosthetic limbs feel.
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Superhuman
The emerging cyborg
Alec McMorris is testing one of the world’s most advanced prosthetics - an AI powered bionic leg.
Advanced prosthetics are not only powerful, they’re beautiful
"There's a deep, deep relationship between the functionality of the device and a person's identity of what their body is."
Wearable robotic suits could be coming to a store near you
What can lift 500 pounds in each hand, walk for miles and miles with a heavy load, or leap over obstacles in a single bound? Humans - with the help of wearable robotics.
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Superhuman
The exoskeleton marathon racer
How do you bounce back from a life-changing car accident? Adam Gorlitsky decided he would break a world record.
The paralyzed racer going faster than ever
This daredevil wouldn't let anything slow him down—not even a devastating bike accident.
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Superhuman
These gloves can teach you to play the piano. And maybe heal your brain.
Through "passive haptic learning", these gloves can teach you how to play the piano in an hour. Braille in four hours. Now researchers want to see if victims of traumatic brain injuries can use these gloves to re-learn critical skills.
Bionic prosthetic grants amputee musician a rocking encore
How might your life change if you lost an arm? After losing his right arm in an electrical accident, Jason wasn’t...
Our cyborg future is coming (and that’s not a bad thing)
Hollywood loves to sensationalize merging the body with advanced tech. But will it really be so bad?
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Superhuman
Father creates bionic organ for son
A father’s quest to help his son with diabetes could change the lives of millions of people who suffer from the disease.
This is our superhuman future
With Thanksgiving winding down, take some time to join us on a journey to the frontier of medical technology.
Meet the wounded veteran using bionics to take back his independence
Jerral lost his left arm in Iraq. Now he's working with a team from Johns Hopkins to test a prosthetic arm that...
This week in ideas: Reasons to feel good about humanity
A paralyzed woman runs a half marathon in an exoskeleton, Sri Lanka defeats malaria, incomes are rising. Here's...
How do we scale bionic technology?
Right now, assistive bionic technology is really cool and really expensive. This is how it will get better and...
What to expect at the first Cyborg Olympics
The event will seek to answer one of the most interesting technology questions of the early 21st century: How close...
Meet the paralyzed man who can walk again
Robert is paralyzed from the chest down. But now a robotic exoskeleton is giving him what he calls "a second chance...
Assistive tech doesn't have to be high tech
The story of how 3D printing gave Ryan Hines a chance to regain his independence for $150. And how he's now...
Superhuman season 5 | trailer
Our best original series is back! Watch now for a look into our Superhuman future.
Prosthetics enter a new age of beautiful form and incredible function
For centuries, prosthetics didn't change much at all, but the past 10 years has seen an incredible leap forward in...
The world's most advanced bionic arm
A fascinating interview with Michael P. McLoughlin, the chief engineer of research and exploratory development at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.
Meet the man with the most advanced prosthetic arm in the world
Johnny Matheny has been working with doctors at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab to test a prosthetic arm that is...
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Superhuman
The real bionic man
After losing part of his arm to cancer, Johnny now has one of the world's most advanced prosthetics.
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Superhuman
Superhuman trailer
Join us as we meet the innovators building our superhuman future.