Tim Cannon

Last updated
Tim Cannon
Born (1979-09-11) September 11, 1979 (age 43)
Camden, Ohio, United States
OccupationCIO of Grindhouse Wetware
Known for Biohacking

Tim Cannon is an American software developer, entrepreneur, and biohacker based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known as Chief Information Officer of Grindhouse Wetware, a biotechnology startup company that creates technology to augment human capabilities. Grindhouse was co-founded by Cannon and Shawn Sarver in 2012. Cannon himself has had a variety of body modification implants, and has been referred to in the media as a cyborg. [1] [2] [3]

Cannon has spoken at conferences around the world on the topics of human enhancement, futurism, and citizen science, including at TEDx Rosslyn, [4] FITUR, [5] the University of Maryland, [6] the World Business Dialogue, [7] the Medical Entrepreneur Startup Hospital, [8] and others. He has been published in Wired [9] and featured in television shows such as National Geographic Channel's "The Big Picture with Kal Penn". [10] Cannon has been featured on podcasts including Ryan O'Shea's "Future Grind" [11] and Roderick Russell's "Remarkably Human". [12]

Implants

Cannon has had a variety of body modification implants, including a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag in his hand and magnetic implants in a finger, wrist, and tragus, [13] causing him to be labelled a cyborg by media outlets including Business Insider , [14] Newsweek , [15] The Awl , [16] and others. Because of legal and ethical restrictions on the types of surgery that can be done on humans, most of these modifications cannot be done by doctors or anesthetists. Instead they are done by body modification experts or on a "DIY" basis. [16]

In May 2012, inspired by Lepht Anonym, Cannon had finger magnets implanted to give him an "extra sense", the ability to feel electromagnetism. [17] [18]

In October 2013, Cannon became the first person to be implanted with the Grindhouse-designed biometric sensor known as Circadia, a procedure which was performed by body modification artist Steve Haworth in Essen, Germany. [19] [14] [20] The device, approximately the size of a deck of playing cards, automatically sent Cannon's temperature to his phone, was powered wirelessly through inductive charging, and mimicked bioluminescence with subdermal LEDs. [21] [22] After a few months as an initial proof-of-concept test, a series of panic attacks led to the device's removal. [23] Cannon is currently working to design an improved, consumer-friendly version of his Circadia implant that measures additional biometrics such as blood glucose, blood oxygen, blood pressure, and heart rate data. [24]

In November 2015, Tim had a prototype of Grindhouse's Northstar device implanted into his right forearm during a procedure at the “Cyborg Fair” in Düsseldorf, Germany. [25] A little larger than a coin, Northstar contained five LED lights, creating a bioluminescent effect when touched with a magnet (such as the ones implanted in Cannon's fingertips.) [26] Its purpose is solely aesthetic. [27] Capable of blinking around 10,000 times before the battery runs down, the device has been presented as a way to "light" tattoos. [26]

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Kevin Warwick is an English engineer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Coventry University. He is known for his studies on direct interfaces between computer systems and the human nervous system, and has also done research concerning robotics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Subdermal implant</span>

A subdermal implant is a body modification placed under the skin, allowing the body to heal over the implant and creating a raised design. Such implants fall under the broad category of body modification. Many subdermal implants are made out of silicone, either carved or mold injected. Many people who have subdermal implants use them in conjunction with other types of body modification to create a desired, dramatic effect. This process is also known as a 3-D implant, or pocketing.

Brain implants, often referred to as neural implants, are technological devices that connect directly to a biological subject's brain – usually placed on the surface of the brain, or attached to the brain's cortex. A common purpose of modern brain implants and the focus of much current research is establishing a biomedical prosthesis circumventing areas in the brain that have become dysfunctional after a stroke or other head injuries. This includes sensory substitution, e.g., in vision. Other brain implants are used in animal experiments simply to record brain activity for scientific reasons. Some brain implants involve creating interfaces between neural systems and computer chips. This work is part of a wider research field called brain–computer interfaces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote control animal</span>

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In body modification, an implant is a device that is placed under the human skin for decorative purposes. Such implants may be subdermal or transdermal. In the context of body modification, some may consider injections of silicone and other substances a type of implant as well.

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Magnetic implant is an experimental procedure in which small, powerful magnets are inserted beneath the skin, often in the tips of fingers. They exist in tubes and discs. This procedure is popular among biohackers and grinders, but remains experimental. Magnetic implants are often performed by amateurs at home, using readily available surgical tools and magnets found online. However, some professional body modification shops do perform implant surgeries. Magnetic implants can also be used as an interface for portable devices to create other new "senses", for example converting other sensory inputs such as ultrasonic or infra-red into a touch sensation. In this way the individual could 'feel' e.g. the distance to objects.

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Grindhouse Wetware is an open source biotechnology startup company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Grindhouse applies the biohacker ethic to create technology that augments human capabilities. The company is most well known for their Circadia device, a wireless biometric sensor that was implanted into co-founder Tim Cannon on the 22 October 2013. Grindhouse has been featured in television shows such as Taboo on National Geographic Channel, Joe Rogan Questions Everything on Syfy, The Big Picture with Kal Penn, as well as podcasts including Future Grind and Roderick Russell's Remarkably Human.

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References

  1. ↑ Platoni, Kara (December 8, 2015). We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are Transforming Human Perception, One Sense at a Time. Basic Books. pp. 7, 237–254. ISBN   978-0465089970 . Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. ↑ Borkhataria, Cécile; Low, Christine; Berger, Katya (June 27, 2017). "Becoming Cyborg A new film explores the dawning age of technologically augmented humanity". Scientific American. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Pickup, Oliver (June 15, 2017). "Humans of the near future". Raconteur. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "TEDx Conference Coming to Rosslyn". Arlnow.com. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  5. ↑ Heraldo de Aragón (28 January 2015). "Tim Cannon, el biohacker que predica la fusión del hombre y la máquina". Heraldo.es. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  6. ↑ Tim Cannon, "Potential Benefits of Sensory Augmentation" @ The University of Maryland. YouTube. 4 May 2013.
  7. ↑ "History". world-business-dialogue.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
  8. ↑ ""Be disruptive!": Interview with Tim Cannon". mesh-camp.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  9. ↑ "Tim Cannon über die Optimierung des eigenen Körpers und die Diskriminierung ihrer Verweigerer". Wired.de. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  10. ↑ "The Big Picture with Kal Penn Body City". National Geographic Channel.
  11. ↑ "Ep. 1 – Tim Cannon on Biohacking and Transhumanism". futuregrind.org. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  12. ↑ Russell, Roderick (30 September 2014). "Cyborg Next Door : Biohacking, Digital Implants & the Merging of Man & Machine". remarkablyhuman.com. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
  13. ↑ Xavier (22 October 2016). "Biohacking, the Body Modification that Turns You into a Cyborg". TattooDo. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Cyborg People Who Implanted Tech - Business Insider". Businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  15. ↑ Carroll, Michael (July 31, 2014). "Part Human, Part Machine, Cyborgs Are Becoming A Reality". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  16. 1 2 Ferguson, Cat (Dec 12, 2013). "The Future Of Biohacking In The Age Of Patent Trolls". Theawl.com. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  17. ↑ "Magnet-implanting DIY biohackers pave the way for mainstream adoption (Wired UK)". Wired UK. wired.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  18. ↑ Czuba, Killian (2017). "Fast Forward". Distillations. 2 (4): 44–45. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  19. ↑ Lallanilla, Marc (November 1, 2013). "'Biohacker' Implants Chip in Arm". Live Science. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  20. ↑ "The brave new world of biohacking | Al Jazeera America". America.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  21. ↑ "Under Your Skin: Wearables Meet DIY Body Mods - Make: | Make". Makezine.com. Archived from the original on 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  22. ↑ "'Biohacker' Implants Chip in Arm". LiveScience.com. November 2013. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  23. ↑ Wainwright, Oliver (14 August 2015). "Body-hackers: the people who turn themselves into cyborgs". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  24. ↑ "Meet the grinders: The humans using tech to live forever". Wareable.com. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  25. ↑ "Biohackers are Implanting LED Lights Under their Skin". Motherboard. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
  26. 1 2 Guler, Sibel Deren; Gannon, Madeline; Sicchio, Kate (2016). Crafting Wearables: Blending Technology with Fashion. Apress. p. 151. ISBN   9781484218075 . Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  27. ↑ Melendez, Steven (2016). "I've got you under my skin". FastCompany. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
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