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Soon the phrase "I've got something in my tooth" -- instead of conjuring up fears of root canal surgery and the like -- could refer to the latest in wearable wireless technology.
A new design for a tooth implant that receives digital signals from radios and mobile phones will be on display at the Science Museum in London beginning Friday.
Designed by Jimmy Loizeau and James Auger, research associates from MIT Media Lab Europe, this collaboration between the Science Museum and the Royal College of Art aims to increase public understanding of science, technology and the arts by showcasing young talent. Part of the "future products" exhibit, it is supported by the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts.
"James and Jimmy's designs raises some real issues about how far we want to go with using biotechnology in our bodies; the possibilities are endless," said NESTA spokesman Joe Meaney.
With your jawbone playing antenna and your head the receiver set, your newly enhanced teeth could allow you to hear the alarm clock without waking your partner, tune into your favorite music and even receive stock market information while you're out playing golf.
Incorporating the technology is a relatively minor procedure. A micro-vibration device and a wireless receiver is implanted into a natural tooth during routine dental surgery.
Sounds are transferred from the tooth into the inner ear by bone resonance (digital signals being converted into audio). And for those who might be worried about a buzzing mouth, sound reception is assured to be totally discreet. "The vibrations are on a molecular level, so the user only experiences pure sound streaming into their consciousness," Loizeau says.
The implant is designed to work in tandem with either a dedicated device or a modified mobile telephone, which can pick up the long distance signals and transmit a local signal to the tooth receiver. Capable of being fully customized to suit user requirements, reception can be switched on and off at will with the aid of the dedicated device.
"We realize that having unwanted sound information arriving directly into the user's brain would resemble technological schizophrenia, therefore maximum control is essential." Auger says.
Currently the tooth works only as a receiver. "Basically for sound to be transmitted it needs to be created in the first place; speaking would (make moot) the discreet nature of the implant," Loizeau says.
For those high-volume lovers, the technology can be implanted in any number of molars. Having more than one tuneful tooth implanted creates a "surround sound" effect, a little like having lots of speakers in your car stereo.
With the minimal hardware required, estimated costs of the implant are quite low and because the dental surgery is pretty basic, the procedure is relatively cheap. With health issues being minimal, about the same as the issues rasied by the use of mobile phones, the tooth is expected to be available in markets in the near future.
Why would anyone want voices in their head?
"It offers a 'Darwinian' advantage to the user whereby they have an advantage over their competition, although not a random mutation but a chosen one," says Auger. "We are very interested in the ethical debate surrounding bionics and post-human evolution."
14 june 2002 - tooth implant to pick up secret sounds
A
revolutionary new design for a tooth implant which receives digital signals
from radios and mobile phones will be on show from 21 June until November
at the Science Museum, London. This unique prototype is part of the new
'Future Product' awards, a collaboration between the Science Museum and
the Royal College of Art that is supported by NESTA (the National Endowment
for Science, Technology & the Arts). The awards aim to increase the
public understanding of science, technology and the arts by showcasing
young talent.
The tooth implant was designed by James Auger, from Derby, whose work was chosen from the Royal College of Art's renowned annual summer exhibition - The Show 2001. James was helped by fellow Royal College of Art graduate Jimmy Loizeau, from Rhyl. James and Jimmy have recently joined the Well-Being group at Media Lab Europe and are continuing their investigations into futuristic biotechnology, with a particular emphasis on the social implications of technology.
The
design builds upon the current form of replacement surgery, such as artificial
joints, to produce the first commodity based in-body product. A micro-vibration
device and a wireless receiver are implanted in the tooth during routine
dental surgery and sound is transferred from the tooth into the inner
ear by bone resonance, converting digital signals to audio. Sound reception
is totally discreet enabling information to be received anywhere and at
anytime, whether it is City traders receiving stock market information
in the cinema or spin-doctors sending information to politicians as they
are interviewed. Sven-Goran Eriksson could keep his customary cool during
a match by issuing instructions to individual players without even having
to raise his voice.
Stories of tooth fillings acting as receivers to pick up radio signals has long been debated as a possible urban myth. James' tooth implant design communicates with an array of digital devices, such as mobile telephones, radio and computers. Either a mobile phone or a dedicated device is used as the long range receiver, this can fully customise the users set up to meet their personal requirements.
James' design is meant to be a talking point only, exploring the possible social and cultural impact of in-body technology. This could have the potential to rewrite Darwinism, as future advantageous mutations will not be random, they will be chosen by the individual.
NESTA has made an investment of £15,000 over three years to support the 'Future Product' display. This will develop opportunities for talented young designers to share their working practice and approaches to creativity and innovation.
The 'Future Product' criteria for selection include innovative design, the use of contemporary technology and a connection to everyday life. Each award winner will work with the curator, Nick Stewart, to develop their exhibit; this includes the display of the product as well as interactive displays showing how the work was developed, for example, original sketches, photographs and quotes.
Displayed on the ground floor of the new Wellcome Wing at the Science Museum, the 'Future Product' forms part of the 'Talking Points' exhibition. 'Talking Points' are a series of thought-provoking exhibits that engage visitors through an interesting mix of objects, art works and interactive exhibits spanning the three disciplines of science, technology and the arts.
further information
and images
Joe Meaney,
NESTA Press Officer 020 7645 9518/07811 336 354 joe.meaney@nesta.org.uk
notes to editors
- NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) was set up by Act of Parliament in 1998
- NESTA's income, about £8 million a year, comes from the interest from an endowment of £200 million from the National Lottery
- Although NESTA's money originated from the National Lottery it does not operate as a lottery distributor
- Our mission is to support and promote talent, innovation and creativity in science, technology and the arts
- We believe there is considerable talent in the UK, but sometimes it goes unnoticed - or goes abroad - because it doesn't receive the right support at the right time. When people say why? NESTA says why not?
funding programmes
- Invention and Innovation, an open-access award programme that helps turn new ideas into exploitable products and services. NESTA takes a stake in each project which is then ploughed back into the programme
- Fellowships, which provide exceptional people with the time, space and resources to pursue their creative goals, explore, experiment, pursue a hunch, break new ground and develop their talent
- Education awards, which aim to engage the public in science, technology and the arts and support innovative and pioneering education projects
· Since May 2000 NESTA has made a total of more than 250 awards worth over £17 million.
For information on how the funding programmes work and how NESTA is governed visit our web site www.nesta.org.uk
The Royal College of Art is the world's only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, specialising in teaching and research and offering the degrees of MA, MPhil and PhD across the disciplines of fine art, applied art, design, communications and humanities. There are eight hundred masters and doctoral students and more than a hundred professionals interacting with them - including scholars, leading practitioners of art and design and innumerable specialists, advisors and distinguished visitors.
The Science Museum's Wellcome Wing has been made possible by two major benefactions. In the first major lottery award to the sciences, the Heritage Lottery Fund has contributed £23m and, in one of the largest grants ever made to a museum in this country, the Wellcome Trust, the independent medical research charity, has donated £17.75m. Further generous support for the Antenna exhibition has been provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and Nature.
Media Lab Europe is a university-level research and education center located
in Dublin, Ireland. Replicating the innovative and entrepreneurial operating
model of the world-renowned MIT Media Lab, MLE adopts an interdisciplinary
approach to researching the ways in which new technologies impact our
lives and environments. Media Lab Europe has the vision to enhance quality
of life through research and education that is focused on sustainable,
human-centric design in technology, science, and the arts.
For further information about Media Lab Europe contact Prue Street, Communications Manager, Media Lab Europe +353 1 474 2800 www.medialabeurope.org