Neil Harbisson Cyborg Sculpture
Cybernetically sensing color as sound
Neil Harbisson is the first government recognized cyborg. He is able to hear color through an integrated antenna within his skull.
Our Budmen Cyborg Sculpture of Neil contains this same cybernetic sense.
Neil Harbisson was born seeing greyscale. For more than a decade, he developed the technology that is now embedded in his head. With it, he can sense color as sound.
Our cyborg sculpture is a life-size bust of Neil containing the very same cybernetic components. This means the sculpture has the same cybernetic ability to sense color as sound as Neil does.
We started this sculpture by 3D scanning Neil using an infrared 3D scanner to capture data. In addition to sensing any color in the visible light spectrum Neil's antenna can also sense ultraviolet and infrared. As he was 3D scanned he could hear the infrared from the 3D scanner - how cool is that?
After rendering the 3D scan data into a 3D model, we created cavities to contain the cybernetic components.
The sculpture was then 3D printed in parts and carefully assembled.
After assembly, we meticulously applied the bronze finish. This time consuming in-house process adds texture and depth to the sculpture to create a convincing aged bronze surface.
The result: a life size interactive sculpture that looks and feels like bronze with specialized cavities to contain cybernetic components.
If you go up to any of our sculptures of Neil Harbisson in museums and put your shirt or a color up to the antenna, you will be able to hear colors as Neil does.
Project Data | |
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Locations | Smithsonian, Washington D.C [Winter - Spring 2022]; Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum, Germany [2018 - present]; ArtScience Museum, Singapore [ 2017 - present]; Barcelona and Ireland [2014 - present]. |
Color | Aged Bronze |
Materials | Biodegradable Plastic, Metals, Electronics |
Caution | You may start to hear colors |
Edible | Not at all |
Date | 2015 - present |
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