If you thought that cyborgs only appear in science fiction I would like to introduce you to Neil Harbisson, recognised as the first cyborg in the world. But, what is actually a cyborg? According to the dictionary is a creature that is part human and part machine in science fiction stories, but this is a real one.

 Neil was born in London in 1982. Son of an Irish father and a Catalan mother, he was diagnosed with achromatopsy at the age of eleven, after several eyetests due to his difficulty to recognise colour. Neil’s achronomatopsy is a congenital neural inability to process colour data so his world is black and white.

 Since he was very young, he always had shown a special artistic sensibility so, after finishing high school in Mataró, Neil moved to Dublin to continue his piano studies and then to Dartington College of Arts, where he met Adam Montandon, his partner in this project. Adam was the teacher of the “cybernetics and senses” course and the moment he became aware of Neil’s situation the idea for the Eyeborg came to mind.

 This electronic device allows him to perceive colours by hearing them. It has taken various forms over the years and currently consists basically of a small sensor placed at eye level, held in place with a cable that transports colour information through vibrations in a small tube around the head. The invention was improved in 2010 for Matias Lizana, becoming a magnetic implant between the skin and the cranium to hold in place a chip, which means more comfort and portability and also a better sound vibration directly on the bone.   

 Neil defines his new sense as sonochromatic perception. According to him, the fact that he never takes off his electronic eye has modified his brain and neurones, enabling him to interpret sounds as colours vice versa. Over the years, he has had to memorise the colour equivalent of each frequency: high frequency colours have high notes and low frequency colours have low notes.

 Thanks to his Eyeborg sonochromatic perception, now Neil can not only hear colours but also see musical notes, which has been an important source of inspiration for his art with paintings and musical compositions based on the connection between colour and sound.

 This experience has changed his life forever, opening a world of possibilities, becoming an essential part of his body and, in 2004, despite the administrative resistance, Neil Harbisson became the first cyborg with a passport wearing the electronic eye and recognising his status as a cyborg.

You can see the documentary about his life here

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