As you know, electronic devices are pretty bad “in contact” with our bodies. Cochlear implants can irritate, the pacemaker may reject as something alien to our body, it’s even the same VR headset to wear for a long time is not very convenient. However, researcher Michael McAlpine from the University of Minnesota is currently working on the creation of alternatives — bionic body parts made of soft materials and living cells. It implants can not only recover the lost organs, but also in the future to grant superpowers.
In a more detailed study of the work of Michael MacAlpine looks simple and ingenious at the same time. To create the organs he uses his own designed 3D printer to print living cells and inorganic materials at the same time.
When you create the organs it uses living cells and electronics as “core” and Inorganics as a “shell”. For example, printed an artificial ear consists of a spiral antenna, neurons and electrically conducting silver nanoparticles, covered with a layer of inert silicone. The scientist says that this way you can create almost any organ from the spinal cord to eyes and limbs.
Currently, artificial organs are preparing to conduct the first tests on laboratory animals. To say that Michael created the ear by the results of preliminary tests do pretty well picks up sounds and even music. During testing artificial ear “heard” playable piano piece by Ludwig van Beethoven “für Elise”. Also now undergoing tests artificial bionic eyes with a network of photoreceptors to convert light into electrical impulses, which we wrote about earlier.
This scientist believes that using such prostheses it is possible not only to regain their lost bodies, but also to strengthen existing ones. As an example, he points to the company Second Sight, which is working on an artificial retina that can detect infrared waves that is inaccessible to the normal eye.
“We could give people with disabilities superhuman abilities. In the future they can also be granted to ordinary people. In the worst sci-Fi nightmares the robots are stronger and smarter people, so that we can create biologically enhanced cyborg defenders.”
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