How will technology enhance our bodies by 2025?

26 Oct 2015


The hand automatically senses when any held item is slipping and tightens its grip. It can grip with the force of 140 Newtons and each finger can lift up to 25kg. It takes just half a second to fully open or close the 500g bebionic3

Sun Lee

How will technology enhance our bodies in the next decade?

Martine Rothblatt, CEO, United Therapeutics: Technology will enable an increasing number of cancers to be defeated by biochemically adjusting the body's immune system to quash cancerous cells. Other technologies will increase the number of transplantable vital organs, either by restoring more from cadaveric donors to acceptable condition, or as a result of organ-manufacturing processes based on regenerative medicine. Also, ultra-cheap personalised gene-sequencing technology and bioinformatics will enable many diseases to be recognised and muted while symptoms are still sub-clinical, resulting in greater human longevity.

Hans Jørgen Wiberg, founder, Be My Eyes: Our non-exponential body is about to be surprised. Thanks to cochlear implants, we are now seeing the last generation of deaf people. Bionic eye implants and stem-cell treatment will reduce blindness. Also, why shouldn't hearing aids monitor temperature and pulse and play music? Why shouldn't a paralysed person with an exoskeleton be the strongest guy in town, or bionic eyes have night vision?

Jennifer French, executive director, Neurotech Network: Technology will provide more accurate and thorough diagnosis of medical conditions of both body and mind. New brain-activity recording techniques could be leveraged to create an integrated human experience wherein the tech element would become less visible, with improved performances. The challenge is whether our societal infrastructures can keep pace with the advancements and demand.

Farida Bedwei, software engineer; author, Definition of a Miracle: Using advanced algorithms and AI theories, we'll be able to make headway in curing neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease. We should also be able to build a model of how the brain's neurons react to certain scenarios and feed that information back to the patients. I also envisage 'smart' sensor-aided walking aids and wheelchairs.

Larry Jasinski, CEO, ReWalk Robotics: The combination of the human body and robotics will expand, with more software applications, sensing capabilities and improved battery technologies. By 2025, exoskeletons will enable stroke victims and multiple sclerosis sufferers to walk again. They will also help to remove the limitations that occur with age. The capacity to expand exoskeletons to run faster and jump higher may become part of daily life.

Leonard Guarente, co-founder, Elysium Health: A convergence of science-based interventions will ensure people remain healthier longer. Prescription medicines will be developed to target proteins, such as sirtuins and mTOR, that regulate ageing. Stem cells will allow the rejuvenation of degenerating tissues. Imaging advances will lead to earlier detection of cancers and Alzheimer's.
And device-driven self-monitoring will spur healthy living.