Concept in Definition ABC

Robots are one thing, entirely artificial beings made of materials such as plastics and metals, and another is them. cyborgs, in which an organic base is mixed (a creature, be it a human being or another species animal) to which electronic elements are added to replace, complement or increase their senses and capabilities.

Celluloid material... up to now

The concept of cyborg It has been widely exploited in the cinematographic field, with emblematic characters such as the "bad bad" of the saga Star wars, Darth Vader, or also in "good" roles like the one developed by RoboCop.

Theoretical characters and the exclusive domain of the Science fiction until recently, the technology is making it possible to create cyborgs embryonic based on adding some small electronic prostheses to human beings.

For example, British artist Neil Harbisson has been the first cyborg recognized as such by a government, the British, to be accepted an implant that he wears in his head.

Harbisson was born with a rare disease called achromatopsia or monochromatism, which causes those who suffer it to only see in scale of gray, that is to say, they cannot appreciate the colors.

That is why in 2004 an electronic system was implanted visible through a kind of antenna that comes out of the back of his skull, and that allows him to hear the colors you can't see, as well as connecting to satellites.

Possibilities

Can we consider ex-athlete Oscar Pistorius as a cyborg? Their prostheses that replace the legs lack an electronic part, since they are only mechanical, but one of the possibilities that technology gives us cyborg it is precisely medicine.

The replacement of legs, arms or hands with prostheses that are "intelligent" enough to communicate with the rest of our bodies. it will allow amputees to lead an autonomous life with acts as simple but at the same time as necessary as grasping objects with the cybernetic hand applying the force correct (it is not the same to grasp a knife as to grasp a bird, since the force can never be the same).

Photos: iStock - posteriori / Planet Flem