Being Cyborg Hack Chat

Lindy Wilkins joins us to discuss what being Cyborg means, living with implants, and more.

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*image by https://fightpunch.deviantart.com/art/Cyborg-359725974

Lindy Wilkins will be co-hosting the Hack Chat this week.

This Hack Chat is at noon PST, Friday, January 26th.

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What does it mean to be a Cyborg? Is it as simple as wearing contacts or getting a knee replacement or is it something more sinister? Do boob implants count towards Cyborg-ness? Do dentures?

Lindy Wilkins is a maker, cyborg, and educator currently based in Toronto, Canada. They are an adjunct professor at OCAD University, Ryerson University, and are co-executive director at Little Dada. Lindy spends their free time making whimsical robots and playing with lasers. Currently, Lindy is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, and director at a makerspace called Site 3 coLaboratory.

Lindy will be talking about theories of cybernetics and biohacking. They have a magnetic implant, NFC implant, and soon-to-be North Sense, and they will share how these have impacted their life. As a body modification enthusiast, the discussion will include how they see the intersection of bio-hacking and wearable technology evolving in the near future.

TL;DR

What does an RFID tag in the body do?
What is a North Sense?
What is the most extreme thing a Cyborg can put in the body?
Are implants difficult to put in or take out? Who does this as a service?

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Being Cyborg Hack Chat Transcript
Shayna • 01/26/2018 at 20:13 • 0 comments

Jordan Bunker : Hey everyone! Today our chat will be hosted by @Lindy!

Jordan Bunker : @Lindy, do you mind giving folks a quick introduction?

Lindy : I am a technologist, educator and cyborg enthusiast. I'm a "whimsical robotics" and wearable tech professor in Toronto, and I co-run a small hardware/weird technologies/events startup called Little Dada.

Jordan Bunker : also: we'll be pulling questions from the comments section of the Being Cyborg page here: https://hackaday.io/event/34316-being-cyborg-hack-chat

Jordan Bunker : Awesome! What does being a cyborg enthusiast mean to you?

Lindy : Well. A lot of things. from an academic standpoint it is a way of thinking about our relationship to technology and the world, and how that is changing. But from another perspective, its about what kinds of technology I can co-exist with inside my body.

matt : @Lindy What RFID/NFC implant do you recommend? I already have a 125khz dog tag in my left hand.

Lindy : @matt I have a xNT NFC [NTAG216] from Dangerous Things. It does everything I want it to do and I've never had any issues with it.

matt : @Lindy thanks

Vicarious : I recommend the flexNT, it contains the same tag as xNT but with a larger coil, providing a better magnetic coupling, better reading distance

Jordan Bunker : We have a question from @Shayna: What first inspired your interest in biohacking? What have your favorite projects been so far?

Lindy : I was first interested in bio hacking from a body modification perspective. I have always been interested in piercings and tattoos, and this seemed like a logical extension. I was first drawn in by the magnetic implants because it seemed so otherworldly. Like something I could never do without the implant.

Shayna : cool!

Lindy : My fav project so far is probably the North Sense. I feel like it has the most potential to start thinking of things living symbiotically with the body rather then just stuffed inside or wrapped around.

Jordan Bunker : what sort of things can people do with implanted magnets?

Jarrett : Lift stuff up, trigger magnetic switches (for custom locks and such), but more importantly, _feel current_ going through wires

Jarrett : I like my magnet :)

Vicarious : :)

Lindy : The thing I use mine for mostly is a party trick. I have a friend who has one too, we pass bottle caps back and forth. I know its not the exciting cyborg future we all imagined, but its really how it gets used mostly. I have also used it to fix electronics periodically, hold needles while sewing ext.

James : @Lindy Ive been intrigued by e-tattoos (circuitry on/in the skin) and i was just wondering what methods there are for doing it in and on the skin?

Lindy : I would be extremely hesitant for that. I have a significant portion of my body tattoo and I love tattoos, but the skin is very picky and I would need to see a lot more data. Even natural inks can cause reactions.

Jordan Bunker : Next couple questions from @DL101 and @Jarrett: What are the newest tech in cyber community? Other than magnets, is there anything coming into the market that can "extend the senses"?

David : I've heard of electricians who had magnets and avoided serious injury or death because they could feel that a wire was live before touching it

Jarrett : So: I used to work in telecomm, and I could identify live power lines

Jarrett : so yeah, it was super useful, and helped me with my job

Thomas Shaddack : random thought re the e-tattoos. what about conventional nfc chips, but the coils themselves realized as tattoo? would make the flex series implants much less unpleasant to insert.
... Read more »

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Discussions

Charlie Lindahl wrote 01/26/2018 at 21:18

Anything going on at the Medical Center in Houston (anywhere?) It is one of the largest med centers in the world, surely there is SOMEONE doing SOMETHING there ...

Are you sure? yes | no

César Héctor wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:56

What about someone hacking on your implants?

Are you sure? yes | no

toani wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:53

Have you had inquires on airports about implants?

Are you sure? yes | no

César Héctor wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:45

How have your mods change your interaction with your peers, society and the world in general?

Are you sure? yes | no

Jordan Bunker wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:24

Question from @rocket: How do you see the future of this type of technology progressing? And What do you think it will take for the general adoption of implants and wearable tech? Outside of hobbyists and government.

Are you sure? yes | no

Matt Heilman wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:21

Thanks for your knowledge and time Lindy.

Are you sure? yes | no

Christopher Bruce Sabine wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:18

Where can you actually get these surgeries done?

Are you sure? yes | no

Jarrett wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:13

Other than magnets, is there anything coming into the market that can "extend the senses"?

Are you sure? yes | no

DL101 wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:09

What are the newest tech in cyber community?

Are you sure? yes | no

Shayna wrote 01/26/2018 at 20:08

What first inspired your interest in biohacking? What have your favorite projects been so far?

Are you sure? yes | no

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