Professor Hbvm nai mun
By Melanie Austria Farmer
Professor Kevin Warwick has been fascinated with robots all of
his life. Now he’s trying to become one.
Two years ago Warwick, head of the cybernetics department at
University of Reading (www2.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/cyasp) in England,
became his own guinea pig after he asked a surgeon to implant a sili
con chip in his left arm. Warwick
nabbed headlines and a bundle
of scientific research funding
after becoming the first man
with a microprocessor implant.
The implant, in place for nine
days, acted as an identification
signal, automatically opening
doors and turning lights on for
him when he entered a room.
Computer systems tracked his
movements when he was in the
research building.
Now the 46-year-old scien
tist, who has spent a good
chunk of his career studying
the interaction between man,
machines and animals, is gearing up for another go.
About a year from now, Warwick will undergo surgery once
again. Another silicon chip will be implanted into his left arm, this
time closer to his nervous system. Computers that monitor Warwick
will be able to better read his movements and possibly even control
his emotions and senses.
Thats the more serious stuff,” said Warwick in a recent phone
interview. “The implant will be picking up the electronic signals of
the nervous system and transmitting them to the computer. We’re
also going to look at extra sensory signals.” Information will be
sent back to Warwick from the computers to give him a “sixth
sense” of distance or range, which he calls “ultra-sonic signals that
we humans don’t have.”
The success of the experiment could lead to assisting the blind
by giving them a better sense of distance from objects, he said.
In the long-term, Warwick, an alumni of Aston University in
England (aston.ac.uk/home.html), said he hopes to close the
communication gap between humans and computers through sig
nals alone. He says this will probably lead to surgically implanting a
microprocessor in the human brain. In the near term, he and his
team at Reading University are focused on researching the nervous
system, movement and human emotion and linking those signals to
a computer.
While most people fear a future world where humans merge
with robots or where robots rule the earth, the spirited Warwick
simply takes the fear of the unknown and translates that into
excitement.
“It’s right to fear (the unknown), but I find it exciting,” said
Warwick. “Those fears don’t worry me. It’s an exciting phenomena.” -
His wife agrees. She plans to get a chip implant herself if all goes
well. As for their teenage daughter—“no way,” she told them. •
(rammers~)
Born and raised: Warwick is a native of England and resides in a
suburb of Reading, which is about 40 miles west of London.
Professional life: Spent last 12 years at Reading University where
he conducts his research and teaches third-year students.
Personal hardware: The microprocessor implanted in Warwick is
off-the-shelf technology that he and his research team fine tuned
for their experiments. (The name of the chip manufacturer is hush
hush.)
Outside of work: When not talking chip implants, he enjoys a walk
in the country with his family or a soccer game rooting for the
locals.
Recent Film: The last film he saw was Erin Brockovich starring Julia
Roberts, which he gives a thumbs up.
Reading materials: The last book he read was Angela's Ashes,
another thumbs up.
Web favorites: Media web sites, like newyorktimes.com, and
other online information hubs.
Kicking back: Typical Friday night at Warwick’s home: quiet
evening, with a take-out meal and a nice bottle of wine.
Photos © INS News Agency.