Human Augmentation SIP

Part 2 – Human augmentation technologies

Most performance enhancing pharmaceuticals have their origins in medicines or are

attempts to upscale the presence of naturally occurring chemicals in the body. However,

their use as enhancements, even in professional sport, lack sufficient understanding to

gauge dosage and quantify the effect. Although pharmaceuticals have applicability to

all three areas of human performance, they often come with side effects that negate the

potential gains. Currently pharmaceuticals have only limited use in human augmentation

but developments in biotechnology, nanotechnology and bioinformatics could allow new

pharmaceuticals to be designed that have more powerful and precise effects.

Section 4 – Additional technologies

Exoskeletons

Exoskeletons are external, removable structures capable of supporting the human

musculoskeletal system and have been in development for decades. They are

categorised as either active (powered) or passive (unpowered). The driver for exoskeleton

development has been to restore or improve mobility for therapeutic reasons, but

industrial and military applications are becoming increasingly common. Passive

exoskeletons can ease the load on the body and reduce the risk of chronic occupational

injuries. Active exoskeletons can translate brain signals into movement, or amplify the

user’s normal movement, to provide restorative or enhanced mobility and strength. Fuel

cell technology has so far proven to be a bottleneck in active exoskeletons, but this is

steadily being addressed. Providing amputees with functioning limbs has been a driver

for the development of prosthetics. The most advanced prosthetics use implanted

microelectrodes to provide a two-way interface allowing the user to control and receive

tactile sensations.

Exoskeleton technologies are improving quickly, and the industry is attracting

investment. This mutually reinforcing situation is likely to continue, leading to accelerated

development. Current limitations include constraints on speed and range of movement,

difficulty of entering confined spaces and the limitations of energy storage.

Exoskeleton technologies

Prosthetics. The University of Utah have

developed a prosthetic arm that uses 100

microelectrodes to provide an interface with the

user’s nervous system. This technology has

existed for over a decade but combining the

robotics and electrode array for the first time has

enabled the user to experience tactile sensations

that are crucial when manipulating delicate

objects.