Cyberware
Cyberware is an artificial word made up of cyber - (English abbreviation for cybernetic , from old Greek kybernetiké téchne , "helmsman's art ") and - ware (English for "goods"). The term was coined by the science fiction novel Neuromancer by cyberpunk author William Gibson . Cyberware mainly refers to fictional implants that are used to merge humans and machines into cyborgs . Comparable to transgenic organisms in utopian literature , the implants often go far beyond the restorative function of a prosthesis and expand the human body with additional functions.
The term is rarely used colloquially and in specialist literature. Really existing implants to restore failed nerve functions are called neuroprostheses . The term “cyberware” is currently registered and protected as a brand name by Cyberware Inc. , Monterey . The company primarily produces 3D scanners, so the name has nothing to do with the content presented here.
Examples of fictional cyberware
- Interfaces between the brain and the machine
- Also referred to as the brain-computer interface or simply “headware”, the focus here is on the direct connection between the brain and the computer with the aim of being able to control machine processes mentally. Such interfaces are known, for example, from the film Matrix , which also addresses the neuroethical component of controlling thoughts by a computer.
- Prostheses
- The prostheses, also known as “bodyware”, should be linked by nerves and neural networks to provide mental control of the prosthesis and full sensor technology . In addition to today's goal of a body replacement that is as natural as possible, thought is being given to an unimaginable range of improvements and enhancements, such as the integration of imaging processes into artificial eyes ( Terminator , the Borg in Star Trek ), or the creation of additional limbs (most recently in Spider-Man 2 ).