The Future of BodyTech: Will We Become Cyborgs

If you haven’t been living under a rock, it’s likely that you’ve heard the news — That Startup Show is back for 2018. As Australia’s number one show about startup culture, each episode focuses on emerging technologies such as SpaceTech, BodyTech, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

In the latest episode, ‘BodyTech —  Turning Brilliant Bio Ideas into Booming Business’, Academy Xi’s very own Frank Guzman volunteered his body in the name of science — by inserting an NFC chip into his left hand. A Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip can be programmed to perform a variety of simple tasks including playing a song or even opening a door.

Revolutionising the relationship between technology and our bodies is big business — with the health and wellness industry predicted to be worth almost US $4 trillion. Global entrepreneurs continue to look for ways to innovate in health technologies, such as CRISPR; an open source gene modification platform that provides new possibilities on the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases.

When developing BodyTech products, companies employ User Experience (UX) Design tools to understand a user’s interests, behaviours, and motivations. For example, both soft and hard exoskeleton technologies are currently being developed to assist paraplegics or those with mobility issues walk again. Similarly, by understanding a user’s pain points and needs, exoskeletons could be designed to reduce the load of manually intensive labour such as work on a construction site.  

At Academy Xi, we strive to transform the world through education — through our short courses in emerging technology and design such as User Experience (UX) Design, Service Design, or Mixed Reality Design. We believe that in a world of constant disruption and exponential technologies, people can enhance their skills and employability through investing in high-quality, digital skills of the future.

As a proud partner of That Startup Show, Academy Xi is currently giving away two free tickets to each live filming of That Startup Show. Simply Tweet us and tell us why you’d like to attend the show. Be on the lookout — we’ll contact ticket winners each week.

So what did Frank get programmed onto his NFC chip? The ability to play Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up‘ on command. #rickrolling

You can watch the latest BodyTech episode of That Startup Show here.