MIT's new bionics center may usher in our cyborg future

A new MIT research center promises to accelerate our journey to a future in which bionics help people everywhere overcome the challenges of disabilities -- and even enhance human potential. The future is near: Bionics replace or restore the function of missing or damaged body parts with electronic devices -- examples include leg exoskeletons and mind-controlled prosthetic arms. These devices can be life-changing, but many are still unique and experimental, meaning the only people to benefit from them are a handful of study participants. The faster we can advance bionics research, the sooner they'll be available to everyone who needs them. "We must continually strive towards a technological future in which disability is no longer a common life experience," MIT professor Hugh Herr, himself a double amputee, told MIT News.