Military Plans Cyborg Sharks

**Adam** · 16th March 2006, 03:45 AM

Heh hmm

Military Plans Cyborg Sharks
By Bill Christensen

posted: 07 March 2006
06:34 am ET

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) has taken another page from science fiction writer William Gibson's book by creating a neural implant to enable engineers to remotely manipulate a shark's brain signals. This would eventually allow them to control the animal's movements and possibly decode their perceptions.
Given that sharks have senses that humans don't have (like the ability to sense electromagnetic fields), it could open up some interesting uses.

The implant consists of multi-channel neural ensemble readers and stimulators, diverse controllers and sensors. In addition, the DARPA researchers want to use their setup to detect and decipher the neural patterns that correspond to shark activities like sensing an ocean current, a particular scent in the water or an electrical field. If they can succeed in these experiments, it might be possible to control a free-swimming shark; it could be trained to track enemy ships or submarines, or to detect underwater mines or cables.

In the abstract for their presentation to the 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center summarized the implant in the following way:

NUWC is developing a fish tag whose goal is attaining behavior control of host animals via neural implants. This talk discusses a shark tag ... intended for long-term open ocean field efforts investigating viability of animal behavior control and its utility for networked sensing and data acquisition. The tag is centered on a multi-channel neural ensemble reader, a processor to interpret the readings in real-time, and a multi-channel stimulator, intended for both micro and macro stimulation.
(From Autonomous Shark Tag with Neural Reading and Stimulation Capability for Open-ocean Experiments)

In his 1981 short story Johnny Mnemonic, author William Gibson wrote about Jones, a military surplus dolphin cyborg that has equipment that is surprisingly similar to the DARPA sharks.

He rose out of the water, showing us the crusted plates along his sides, a kind of visual pun, his grace nearly lost under armor, clumsy and prehistoric. Twin deformities on either side of his skull had been engineered to house sensor units. Silver lesions gleamed on exposed sections of his gray-white hide.
(Read more about William Gibson's cyborg dolphin)

Of course, there is only so much you can do with a friendly dolphin. Maybe that's why DARPA's military sponsors have chosen sharks. Take a look at these related stories about scientists who have used implants to 'jack' into a cat's brain to see what the cat is seeing, or other researchers who have implanted RFID chips in birds to warn of Avian flu. (This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)

**Adri** · 16th March 2006, 06:55 AM

I think I am appalled.

Minotaur2k · 16th March 2006, 09:23 PM

wow now we are trying to control sharks with implants, how long until we are the ones with implants???

16th March 2006, 03:45 AM	#1
Adam Lead Administrator Owner Join Date: Oct 1990 Posts: 6,247 Gold: 101,993 My Mood: Thanks: 53 Thanked 704 Times in 220 Posts	Military Plans Cyborg Sharks Heh hmm Military Plans Cyborg Sharks By Bill Christensen posted: 07 March 2006 06:34 am ET DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) has taken another page from science fiction writer William Gibson's book by creating a neural implant to enable engineers to remotely manipulate a shark's brain signals. This would eventually allow them to control the animal's movements and possibly decode their perceptions. Given that sharks have senses that humans don't have (like the ability to sense electromagnetic fields), it could open up some interesting uses. The implant consists of multi-channel neural ensemble readers and stimulators, diverse controllers and sensors. In addition, the DARPA researchers want to use their setup to detect and decipher the neural patterns that correspond to shark activities like sensing an ocean current, a particular scent in the water or an electrical field. If they can succeed in these experiments, it might be possible to control a free-swimming shark; it could be trained to track enemy ships or submarines, or to detect underwater mines or cables. In the abstract for their presentation to the 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center summarized the implant in the following way: NUWC is developing a fish tag whose goal is attaining behavior control of host animals via neural implants. This talk discusses a shark tag ... intended for long-term open ocean field efforts investigating viability of animal behavior control and its utility for networked sensing and data acquisition. The tag is centered on a multi-channel neural ensemble reader, a processor to interpret the readings in real-time, and a multi-channel stimulator, intended for both micro and macro stimulation. (From Autonomous Shark Tag with Neural Reading and Stimulation Capability for Open-ocean Experiments) In his 1981 short story Johnny Mnemonic, author William Gibson wrote about Jones, a military surplus dolphin cyborg that has equipment that is surprisingly similar to the DARPA sharks. He rose out of the water, showing us the crusted plates along his sides, a kind of visual pun, his grace nearly lost under armor, clumsy and prehistoric. Twin deformities on either side of his skull had been engineered to house sensor units. Silver lesions gleamed on exposed sections of his gray-white hide. (Read more about William Gibson's cyborg dolphin) Of course, there is only so much you can do with a friendly dolphin. Maybe that's why DARPA's military sponsors have chosen sharks. Take a look at these related stories about scientists who have used implants to 'jack' into a cat's brain to see what the cat is seeing, or other researchers who have implanted RFID chips in birds to warn of Avian flu. (This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.) RMS Carpathia: actually the way the iron golems look in this game.. it looks like trailer trash redneck borgs.. because they are just diffrent metals all put togeather and when they walk they look like they are going to fall over Get your own personal forum Like these ones - Personal forum listing Bored @ work? Play in our arcade! Useful Tips on how to use UOForums Open your own blog

16th March 2006, 06:55 AM	#2
Adri Wearing metal panties in a lightning storm Join Date: May 2004 Shard: Pacific/Landroval Posts: 3,755 Gold: 5,599 My Mood: Thanks: 175 Thanked 92 Times in 65 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 2	Re: Military Plans Cyborg Sharks I think I am appalled. We are all broken and wounded in this world. Some choose to grow strong at the broken places. --Harold J. Duarte-Bernhardt Thanks to Atlas for the fantastic sig!

16th March 2006, 09:23 PM	#3
Minotaur2k Meow Join Date: Feb 2006 Shard: Catskills Posts: 580 Gold: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Military Plans Cyborg Sharks wow now we are trying to control sharks with implants, how long until we are the ones with implants??? There are no stupid questions......only stupid people!

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