Cyborg Foundation
Focus Forward Grand Jury Prize winner
About this video
Seeing colour with sound.
Neil Harbisson was born with achromatopsia, a rare condition that causes complete colour blindness.
In 2004, Harbisson and Adam Montandon developed the "eyeborg", a sensory device that translates colours into sounds. He can also perceive colour ranges outside of normal human vision, including infrared and is experimenting with ultraviolet vision.
By wearing the device at all times, Harbisson has become the world's first officially recognised cyborg. As Harbisson himself states: "it is the union between the software and my brain [that makes me a cyborg]. My body and technology have united."
The foundation has also experimented with other sensory devices and unions, including an "earborg,” which translates sound into color, and a "speedborg", which allows people to detect movement through electronic earrings that vibrate.
This film was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the GE Focus Forward Filmmaker Competition.
