“Don’t stop at five senses when you can install a sixth one,”—a DIY cyborg (probably)
Content warning: Extreme body modifications
Why settle for a Fitbit when you can have shock therapy on your arm for ‘bad’ behaviour using a chip inside your finger? The DIY Cyborg Movement isn’t just about convenience; it’s about rewriting the very fabric of human experience—or at least, attempting to. These modern-day DIY cyborgs defy norms without waiting for clinical trials, using technology ranging from sensors to self-stitched Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. When you peel back its skin, the DIY Cyborg movement is as daring as it is controversial.
Under the umbrella of body hacking—which is the practice of making modifications to one’s own body, often using technology or unconventional methods to enhance or change its functions—grinders emerge as the rebels with a cause, the punk protagonists in this narrative. Drawing inspiration from the anarchic spirit of biopunk and cyborg theory (cybernetics plus organism) and borrowing their names from the pages of Doktor Sleepless, participants repurpose technology and fuse it with human form, with aspirations to craft a superior post-human existence. Cyborgisation, or replacing body parts with mechatronic devices, is not a new phenomenon and its umbrella includes wearables, prostheses, and artificial organs. However, the shock value of DIY Cyborgisation is lent by the DIY part, which often involves unauthorised surgical implantation of microchips and tags under the skin by yourself.
Beyond the flesh, microchip tech, embodied in RFID tags, has revolutionised identification systems, from employee badges to pet implants. Meanwhile, near-field communication (NFC) enabled devices facilitate data storage and seamless tech pairing. Under the cyborg skin, tech enthusiasts queue up for subdermal chip installations at gatherings like DEFCON. Experimentations encompass RFID tags, NFC chips, biosensors, and unconventional methods like microdosing. Biomagnets at your fingertips (more specifically, inside your fingertips) stimulate nerves, and create a “sixth sense.” Why have keys and passwords when you can use the RFID and NFC devices beneath the skin, like vCard storage or Bitcoin wallets?
The roots of this phenomenon trace back to the transhumanist movement of the 1980s, envisioning a reshaped humanity through emerging technologies. So, how did the DIY Cyborg movement take off? In 1998, Kevin Warwick, the cybernetics maestro at Reading University, kicked things off by sticking an RFID tag in his arm for a lightsaber-like effect. Fast forward 15 years, and the scenes are blowing up. Companies like Dangerous Things and Grindhouse Wetware roll out gadgets. Welcome to the techno-revolution.
Motivations for joining this movement are as diverse as the modifications themselves. Anecdotes from biohackers like Lepht Anonym showcase the grittier side of the movement, which includes using vegetable peelers to perform surgical implantations often without medical aid. Artists like Stelarc implant a third human ear into their arm for the sake of art, demonstrating the movement’s diverse expressions. Biohacking isn’t just a spectacle; for some, like Licina who injected a chlorophyll-like substance into his eyeballs for night vision, it’s about democratising science. Some crave enhanced sensory experiences, others seek functional advantages, some distrust authorities and have repeatedly been failed by conventional medical alternatives, and many view technology as a canvas for self-expression.
Yet, the journey into self-enhancement is not without its risks and ethical complexities. This bold pursuit of cyborg-like enhancements raises concerns among scientists regarding life-threatening, unsupervised self-experimentation. What is the need for having a credit card under your palm and a light switch at the tip of your thumb, especially when this technology only works because the chips and tags are placed shallowly under the skin? Notable faces of the movement, including Kevin Warwick, have also garnered infamy for pursuing sensationalism, and there remains the need for an ethical framework to navigate the evolving landscape of the grinder movement.
