Tokyo University experts are exploring what society would look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like rental vehicles.
What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like roadside rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami's team at the University of Tokyo have sought to find out by creating wearable robotic arms.Inami's team is developing a series of technologies rooted
in the idea of "jizai", an Japanese term that he says roughly denotes
autonomy and the freedom to do as one pleases.
The aim is to foster something like the relationship between
musician and instrument, "lying somewhere between a human and a tool, like
how a musical instrument can become as if a part of your body."
Inami says he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry
and a quasi-horror short story by novelist Yasunari Kawabata about a man who
borrows a young woman's arm and proceeds to spend the night with it.
"This is absolutely not a rival to human beings, but
rather something that helps us do as we please, like a bicycle or e-bike. It
supports us and can unlock creativity," Inami said.
A promotional video for the "Jizai Arms" shows two
ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their
backs and torsos - human and machine moving in concert. The dancers ultimately
embrace, cyborg arms included.
Some wearers grow attached to the arms after some time,
Inami said. "Taking them off after using them for a while feels a little
sad. That's where they're a little different from other tools," he said.
But the potential goes beyond turning a novelist's fantasy
into reality, such as helping in search-and-rescue missions, he added. "In
the future, we might see wings growing out of people's backs, or drones
attached to people ... Maybe someone will come up with a sport that requires
six arms or invent a new type of swimming," Inami said. © Reuters