From Google translate:

Cyborg artist can hear colors

Living in Spain Harbisson artist Neil has a sensor implanted and sees himself as a first hybrid of organism and machine. At the re: publica conference in Berlin, he wowed the audience.

Electronic eye or simply "eyeborg calls" the 31-year-old Neil Harbisson the small sensor, which he wears on a holder, which leads to the back of his head from the forehead. "Eyeborg" looks for Harbisson who suffers from birth to achromatopsia and the world can perceive only in black-and-white contrasts. Where "see" is not quite right. Because eyeborg converts the colors in the world sounds around (eg a red "F") and can Harbisson hear these colors. However, not the headphones, the sound takes Harbisson by implant directly over his skull bone vibrations as true.

"In 2004 we designed the eyeborg that allows me to hear, what you see in front of me," Harbisson told in a much-publicized and applauded speech on the internet re: publica conference, taking place these days in Berlin (HORIZON) reported .

Chip implant in the body

"As a cyborg, I felt the first time I heard in my dream colors", Harbisson says of his self-definition. Today, people would be referred to a cardiac pacemaker or a smartphone as a hybrid of organism and machine, for him, the limit would be exceeded, but only if the technology improves the capabilities of his vehicle and he sees it as part of his body. Ethical concerns that critics in the merging of man and machine, has no Harbisson.

Meanwhile, he has established that he must wear an electronic device on his passport photo, to formally considered part of his body. Soon he even wants to do it so far that the chip that performs the calculations and he wears the neck, is powered by its own body with energy and no more battery power needs. "Then I am no longer dependent on electricity," said Harbisson.

Cyborg Foundation fights for rights

It is fascinating how the Irishman was able to develop his senses by means of eyeborg. "I can hear infrared and ultraviolet and explore whether monitoring sensors are in the room such as," he told the astonished re: publica audience. His partner Moon Ribas he has been infected with the Body Hacking, such as the expansion of the human body is also called for technical elements. It has built around the "Earborg" earrings, which measures the rate of people who walk past her. Vibrations tell you how far and by what side people come upon them - according to Ribas so you can maneuver with closed eyes through a crowd.

With the Cyborg Foundation, founded in 2010, they intend to move more people to likewise become cyborgs and also represented the rights of these people. "There are so many people who want to extend their senses and become a cyborg," said Ribas.

Arts and blind

Main application can find the electronic sense extensions of the two currently in the arts. Harbisson approximately translated speeches of Martin Luther King and Adolf Hitler in colorful images. "Hitler's speeches are very colorful, because he used many different registers, while Martin Luther King is very purple," said Harbisson. Or he misses cities starting from their noise by their dominant colors (Vienna is about yellow / white, Lisbon light blue / yellow). He also makes songs from the faces of people or creates dishes according to the colors of pop songs. A new project called "Earborg" is also intended to enable blind people to also be able to hear colors.

Harbissons eyeborg is problematic in social terms: Most people are not familiar with the technology and would you believe that she is filming Harbisson. On similar resistance is now reaching Google's data-Glass glasses that can shoot a photo by voice or can shoot videos without any external signs - for many, a break with data protection and privacy. A friend of Harbisson has solved the problem in a very simple way and gave him a T-shirt that says: "I'm not filming."