All Eyes and Ears on March of the Cyborgs
From: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - 06/05/2010
By: Deborah Smith

Medical implants such as heart pacemakers, cochlear implants for the deaf,
and brain implants for those with Parkinson's disease are just the beginning
of the process of cyborgization, the development of high-tech implants and
prostheses that will benefit many people, says Australian National University
professor Roger Clarke. On the horizon are bionic eyes that enable the blind
to see and muscle implants that could allow paraplegics to stand and even
walk, says the University of Melbourne's Rob Shepherd. "The field of medical
bionics is rapidly expanding," Shepherd says. "The thing we get excited about
is that Australia is at the forefront." Researchers also are developing
electrically conducting plastics that could stimulate and guide nerve fibers
to repair spinal cords. "Cyborgization will give rise to demands for new
rights," Clark notes, such as using devices to enhance, not just restore,
function. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/all-eyes-and-ears-on-march-of-the-cyborgs-20100604-xklv.html

Links:
Roger Clarke
http://www.rogerclarke.com/

Cyborg Rights
http://www.rogerclarke.com/SOS/CyRts-1003.html

Rob Shepherd
http://www.bionicear.org/profiles/RobShepherd.html

Bionic eye in sight thanks to $42 million
http://newsroom.melbourne.edu/news/n-220