The future is now. If you want proof, you need not look further than the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where a team of scientists and engineers, led by Dr. Bertolt Meyer, unveiled “Frank”—the world’s first bionic robot man—to the world.
Earlier today, Meyer showed “Frank” to a gaggle of media and onlooking tourists at the (now open!) Air and Space Museum, and demonstrated the frightening and awesome power of science. Built entirely from bionic body parts and synthetic organs, “Frank” is a scientific breakthrough in the study of biomedical engineering, and features fully functional synthetic organs, including its own pumping heart, arteries, blood, spleen, lung, pancreas and kidney. “Frank” also features fully functional limbs and joints, as well as Cochlear hearing implants, and, most terrifyingly, functional eyes.
“Frank’s” creation is documented as part of a new documentary, The Incredible Bionic Man, which will air on the Smithsonian Channel this Sunday at 9 p.m. The program documents the journey of conceiving and putting together “Frank,” led by engineers Richard Walker and Matthew Godden, from the Shadow Robot Company. To construct “Frank,” they borrowed 28 of the most advanced artificial body parts ever made and built it within a custom exoskeleton that uses functional artificial limps and joints. The result: A walking, “living” robot. Unfortunately, one thing that “Frank” lacks is a functioning, um, reproductive organ, Dr. Meyer said.
“Frank” also features a eerily life-like face that was modeled after Meyer, whose left hand is bionic. “You should’ve seen my reaction when I first saw it,” Meyer joked. “I was absolutely mortified and ran out of the room!” But while “Frank” may seem like a terrifying cyborg that represents the beginning of the end of humanity, Dr. Meyer assured reporters that we’re still many years away from the Rise of the Machines and Judgement Day. “There are many, many limitations that we need to overcome before cyborgs can take over the world,” Meyer said. Phew.