Animal Cyborgs

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Definition

An animal whose physical or mental form has been implanted with a piece of technology for the purposes of research, control, experimentation, or rehabilitation.

Implications

Animal Cyborgs are a promising area of study for several reasons. First off, one of the biggest hurdles in the development of human cyborgs is the restrictions on human testing. For example, it is ethically permissible to completely control the movements of a fly or beetle, which allows us to understand how nervous systems can be synthesized with circuitry to advance fields such as bionics. Animals have also evolved some capabilities that defy our most advanced technologies. The flight systems of a fly or hummingbird far outmatches even our most deft aircrafts. By building off of these advanced organisms we avoid having to start from scratch and can instead focus on novel combinations of animals' natural abilities and our technological augmentations. Animal cyborgs can also offer glimpses into non-human intelligences. Intelligence is a notoriously anthropocentric concept, and is often used as the elastic category by which we differentiate ourselves from mere "animals".

Animal cyborgs allow us to understand and appreciate animals in new ways. For example, by embedding salmon with tracking devices we have started to appreciate the strange intelligence of this species that allows it to travel thousands of miles and return to the exact stream it spawned in. What would we learn about non-human intelligences from giving a bonobo a voicebox? Just as advances in exploration and navigation opened up our horizons of cultures, advances in informatic technologies could be the key for understanding new horizons of intelligence and culture in the many species that surround us.

References


Examples

Cyborg Moth

Cyborg cat walks on bionic feet

submitted by Chris Welsh

Cyborg cat gets his own comic

also submitted by Chris Welsh


Cat collar tweets photos and location

submitted by Jeremaih Parry-Hill

RFID Tagged Cows Start Tweeting

via Mashable


US University Shows Radio-controlled Live Beetle Tsuneyuki Miyake, Nikkei Microdevices - Jan 28, 2009 19:49

"The University of California, Berkeley succeeded in the experiment of controlling a live rhinoceros beetle by radio and disclosed the video of the experiment at the MEMS 2009 academic conference taking place in Sorrento, Italy.

Researchers at the university controlled the movement of beetle wings and some other parts using radio signals sent to the six electrodes on its brain and muscles. They equipped the beetle with a module incorporating a circuit to send signals to the electrodes, wireless circuit, microcontroller and battery. The university has so far succeeded in several experiments of electrically controlling insects, but it used a radio control system this time.

The researchers used rhinoceros beetles in this experiment because they can carry a weight of up to 3g. They can fly carrying the module weighing about 1.3g on their backs. And another reason is that they look cool, according to the university".

via TechOn


New Scientist - Rats' brain waves could find trapped people 19:00 22 September 2004 by Emily Singer

Rats equipped with radios that transmit their brainwaves could soon be helping to locate earthquake survivors buried in the wreckage of collapsed buildings.

via New Scientist


People's Daily - Chinese scientists experiment with remote control of animals UPDATED: 13:51, February 27, 2007

"Chinese scientists said they have succeeded in an experiment to remotely control the flight of a pigeon with electronic technology.

Scientists with the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center of east China's Shandong University of Science and Technology say they implanted micro electrodes in the brain of a pigeon so they can command it to fly right or left or up or down.

The implants stimulated different areas of the pigeon's brain according to signals sent by the scientists via computer, and forced the bird to comply with their commands.

It's the first such successful experiment on a pigeon in the world, said the chief scientist Su Xuecheng.

The electronic signals resemble the signals generated by the brain which control body movement, said Su.

Su and his colleagues are improving the devices used in the experiment ahd hope that the technology can be put into practical use in future.

Su conducted a similar successful experiment on mice in 2005".

Source: Xinhua


It's Not a Stuffed Animal, It's a $6,000 Medical Device June 24, 2010 By ANNE TERGESEN And MIHO INADA

Five years ago, a Japanese robot manufacturer introduced Paro to the world. Built to resemble a baby harp seal—with a plush coat of antibacterial fur—Paro was hailed in Japan as a pioneer among socially interactive robots, one that would help lift the spirits of millions of elderly adults.

via Wall Street Journal Online


Boing Boing: Fly Steers Mobile Robot David Pescovitz at 1:23 PM Friday, Aug 27, 2010

Multimedia