Part 2
Human augmentation
technologies
Understanding the human body is the critical foundation of human augmentation. The
most sophisticated augmentation is not, necessarily, the most effective – getting the
basics right could produce transformative results. This part provides an overview of
emerging human augmentation technologies most pertinent to society and Defence.
It will conclude with potential employment considerations and an assessment of the
feasibility of the technologies. Further information about the human augmentation
technologies and their application can be found at Annex B.
Section 1 – Understanding the human body
The human body is incredibly sophisticated and understanding how it works is
fundamental to successful augmentation. Our brains are more complex than any other
known structure in the universe. Human bodies are complex ecosystems hosting ten
times more bacteria cells than cells of their own. People are unique: each person smells
different, walks differently, hears differently and responds to medication differently.
Understanding how the body works is a monumental undertaking but recent scientific and
technological developments mean that, increasingly, we can unlock the secrets within the
3x10^14 cells in a human body.
Side effects and unintended outcomes. The relationship between augmentation inputs
and outputs is not as simple as it might appear. An augmentation might be used to
enhance a person’s endurance but could unintentionally harm their ability to think clearly
and decisively in a timely fashion. In a warfighting context, an augmentation could
make a commander more intelligent, but less able to lead due to their reduced ability to
socially interact or because they increasingly make unethical decisions. Even a relatively
uncontentious enhancement such as an exoskeleton may improve physical performance
for specific tasks, but inadvertently result in a loss of balance or reduced coordination
when not being worn. The notion of enhancement is clouded further by the intricacies
of the human nervous system where a modifier in one area could have an unintended
effect elsewhere. Variation between people makes designing enhancements even more
challenging.
Understanding. The answer to the conundrum of unintended outcomes is to invest as
much effort in understanding the human body as we do in optimisation or enhancement.
We therefore augment not only to improve human performance, but also to understand
it. As our understanding of the human body improves, so too does our ability to optimise
performance without resorting to invasive, permanent or controversial technologies.
Collecting and analysing data on human performance can identify aspects of individual
behaviour (for example, diet, sleep and activity) that can be adjusted to deliver