[Scarlett.]

The Argus II is a minuscule artificial eye that attaches to the retina via 60 electrodes. Stephen Rose, chief research officer at the Foundation Fighting Blindness, says it has “great potential for giving vision to people with the most advanced retinal disease.” With the second phase of human trials underway, expect production models this year.



Developed in Scotland, the i-Limb Hand from Touch Bionics is literally a bionic hand, so the future has arrived. As things stand, you wouldn’t chop off a good hand just to get one, but as Ray Edwards, boss of the Limbless Association commented on his own i-LIMB: “It has given me such a boost, both physically and mentally. It has changed my life.”



Finally, if you can’t be doing with upgrading your body one bit at a time then the robot suit HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb – not to be confused with the homicidal computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey) will do the job in a single, step-motored reboot.

Japanese manufacturer Cyberdyne Inc (not to be confused with the homicidal computer company in The Terminator) plans to make 500 this year. HAL’s inventor Yoshiyuki Sankai reckons the suit can, “multiply human strength by a factor of two to ten”. It also makes you look like a gladiator from Tron.



MSN.co.uk




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