Our Tongue Holds the Key to Cyborg Integration!

Researchers at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition have been experimenting with using a tongue as the “brainport” conduit for connecting cyborg-like implants. Their test subjects are soldiers, with the hope being that they can give soliders an edge in the battlefield.

By routing signals from helmet-mounted cameras, sonar and other equipment through the tongue to the brain, they hope to give elite soldiers superhuman senses similar to owls, snakes and fish.

Researchers at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition envision their work giving Army Rangers 360-degree unobstructed vision at night and allowing Navy SEALs to sense sonar in their heads while maintaining normal vision underwater turning sci-fi into reality.

The device, known as “Brain Port,” was pioneered more than 30 years ago by Dr. Paul Bach-y-Rita, a University of Wisconsin neuroscientist. Bach-y-Rita began routing images from a camera through electrodes taped to people’s backs and later discovered the tongue was a superior transmitter.

A narrow strip of red plastic connects the Brain Port to the tongue where 144 microelectrodes transmit information through nerve fibers to the brain. Instead of holding and looking at compasses and bluky-hand-held sonar devices, the divers can processes the information through their tongues, said Dr. Anil Raj, the project’s lead scientist.

Really interesting is the question of how humans treat this extra-perceptual capabilities. Will they eventually think of it as similar to their real senses, or will this be similar to wearing a pair of sun glasses or something? The wierd one to me is the eyesight enhancers:

Work on the infrared-tongue vision for Army Rangers isn’t as far along. But (lead scientist) Raj said the potential usefulness of the night vision technology is tremendous. It would allow soldiers to work in the dark without cumbersome night-vision goggles and to “see out the back of their heads,” he said.

How will soldiers function when they have 360 degree vision capability? At first glance, this seems like it could have some significant usability issues. In a rapid-response threat environment, will the extended vision aid in extending their situational awareness or could it potentially freeze them by incorporating too much input at a moment of high stress?