WHAT IS BIONICS Bionics is the science of making technology that acts like real body parts The word bionics is a combination of biology and electronics An electronic arm that acts like a human arm is a bionic arm Bionics is all about technology that can make our bodies faster stronger and smarter It might sound like a science of the future but in reality bionic technology has been around for ages Hearing aids are an example of bionic technology for your ears that can help you hear better Ever since the science of bionics really started taking off scientists and engineers have been working hard to make better more advanced bionic body parts In fact the future of bionics now lies in something very exciting indeed bionic limbs
What Are Bionic Limbs Your limbs are your arms legs hands and feet Bionic limbs are mechanical versions of these Bionic limbs can be used to help people who were born without one or more of their limbs or have had them amputated Prosthetics Prosthetic limbs are human-made or artificial replacements of missing body parts People who have had limbs amputated often use prosthetics When you think of missing limbs you might imagine peg-legged pirates with hooks for hands This is because wooden legs and metal hooks were types of early prosthetics Luckily prosthetic limbs have come a long way since then Bionic limbs are the latest type of prosthetic technology
BIONICS THE FANTASY People have always dreamed of being able to improve their bodies with new technology Imagine being able to lift up cars and buses with a bionic arm that gives you superstrength Or becoming a bionic basketball champion with arms and legs that can stretch as far as you need them to Arms and legs are easily broken If you’ve ever broken a bone you know how painful it can be Bionic limbs however can be easily replaced or fixed You can see the appeal Being half-human half-machine could give us superhuman abilities But if you had the chance to become part robot would you take it
Many authors and moviemakers have imagined a future where humans and machines are one and the same In the world of science fiction robotic body parts are sometimes called cybernetic enhancements There are many stories of people getting carried away with technology and turning themselves into cyborgs A cyborg or cybernetic organism is someone who has both human and bionic body parts In the television show Doctor Who the Cybermen are an alien race of cyborgs They are the villains that the Doctor just can’t shake They deleted their emotions and turned themselves into a cold hard metal army in order to live forever Would you become a mixture of human and robot parts if it meant living forever In reality scientists are far from building an army of cyborgs but even so the future of bionic body parts might not be as far away as you think In fact scientists are already making real-life bionic limbs some of which can even be controlled by our minds
