From the wonderful magic of science and technology, the Eyeborg was created to help a colorblind man to hear color.
Huh? This is a real thing? My thoughts exactly!
Before he teamed up with Adam Montandon and some friends to develop the Eyeborg, Neil Harbisson could only see in black and white. The Eyeborg, a device implanted in his brain, now transforms the light waves of different colors into sound waves so he can hear color. His ability to perceive color gives him a sixth sense of hearing the visuals of the world.
Harbisson talks about the Eyeborg and his experience in this TED Talk:
Harbisson talks about the Eyeborg and his experience in this TED Talk:
Basically, it works like this:
Is there any better way to be more literal with the phrase Hear.Art.Beat. than to be Harbisson hearing the sounds colors make? When he looks at faces of friends, his dinner, and artwork, he hears music.
Check out the music your foods and household products secretly make right under our noses:
If only children knew how exciting fruits and veggies were! And chores! It all can make music! I would have gladly eaten every bite of steamed spinach forced upon me as a child if I could hear the musical notes it made.
In reverse, by hearing a song, Harbisson can create art with the colors that would make the music. Examples of Mozart and Justin Beiber were given in his TED Talk. The following piece of art is from the first 100 notes of Beethoven’s Fur Elise.
In reverse, by hearing a song, Harbisson can create art with the colors that would make the music. Examples of Mozart and Justin Beiber were given in his TED Talk. The following piece of art is from the first 100 notes of Beethoven’s Fur Elise.
Harbisson has used his handicap to create some spectacular new ways to see the relationship between color and the world. I suggest poking around his website to see more of his videos and art. (Link provided at the bottom.)
To me, this is all so inspirational for many reasons.
First, this guy couldn’t see color, and he came up with the Eyeborg. He didn’t just think of a way to fix his eyes to see colors. That would have been the first obvious thought, I’m sure. “I can’t see color. How can I fix it so I can see color?” Instead, he thought outside of the box and came up with a whole new way to perceive color. “Forget seeing color… I want to hear color!” He changed up the verb to find a unique solution. (Take note, inspiration seekers.)
Second, after having the technology of the Eyeborg, Harbisson didn’t just stick to using it only to hear colors himself. He played with the sounds he heard and created music with different color combinations. (He really doesn’t like to be limited to the proverbial “Box” we all tend to like to think inside of.)
Lastly, I see so many possibilities that come from this kind of thinking and creation. Near the end of the TED Talk, Harbisson talks about extending our senses with technology. Seeing and perceiving things we couldn’t normally. Allowing technology to excite our lives and better our living. I like the idea of extending our senses and creating perceptions. I think it opens so many doors to so much creativity! I hope one day, I can somehow incorporate this idea into whatever I do.
