Cyborg step: A body hack that lets you sense magnetic north

If animals such as birds, fish, lobsters and dogs can detect magnetic fields, why can't people do the same as well? The question of whether we have a subconscious magnetic sixth sense has long divided the scientific community and if it does exist, a new body attachment called the North Sense might just help reacquaint us with this long-dormant ability.

The waterproof gadget is about the size of a matchbox, is charged via USB, and vibrates when the wearer is facing north. It is designed to be attached to the skin, preferably just below the collarbone on the upper part of the chest, and held in place via two bar piercings, which can be done by a body piercer. The idea is to treat the North Sense just as you would the rest of your sensory organs, and not just as a tool. After all, you don't remove your tongue just because you don't feel like eating.

This philosophy is primarily what separates the North Sense from other external sensors that help wearers detect magnetic north. Cyborg Nest, the company behind the gadget, is more interested in exploring the abstract – that is, how modifying the way we perceive things can change the way we experience reality - than in loading it with practical functions. That is why it doesn't have GPS or any tracking abilities, nor is it connected to a network.

"There's a whole other world out there full of things we have no idea about – different types of radiation, sounds, and colors," explains CEO and co-founder Liviu Babitz, who has been testing the sensor for the past three weeks. "Even if it's in a primitive way, being able to sense and connect to something that I would otherwise have zero clue about is something that fascinates me on a daily basis."

The next stage is going to be even more interesting, as the company plans to find out not only how the sensor affects the wearer's sense of direction but also his perception of the world around him. For example, a painter and engineer perceive their environment differently, Babitz explains. What kind of an effect will an artificial sense have on who they are and what they do? Whatever it is, the wearer will have to be patient, though. According to Steve Haworth, another co-founder and a body modification artist, it takes roughly six months for the brain to create new neural networks to understand what an individual is experiencing.

While scientists are divided over whether a magnetic sense exist in humans, Babitz claims that the company is already in touch with a few researchers who are interested in seeing what kind of research can be done around the device.

"There are already a lot of theories that are running about things that might happen, such as changes in the brain, perception of reality, and the impact this might have on other parts of the body," he tells New Atlas. "You can't base scientific theory on just one person's experience."

With that said, this is just the beginning for Cyborg Nest. After all, this is a company made up of some very prominent individuals, including Neil Harbisson, the color-blind cyborg artist who can famously hear colors thanks to the antenna implanted in his skull; his partner and fellow cyborg artist Moon Ribas, who has a magnetic implant in her arm that lets her sense the world's earthquakes; music exec Scott Cohen, co-founder of the world's largest digital distributor The Orchard; and Haworth, popularly known as the Modfather in body-mod circles. As for Babitz, he used to be the COO of charity organization Videre est Credere, which helps citizens in oppressed countries document human rights abuses with hidden cameras.

While Videre and Cyborg Nest might seem like they're worlds apart, there is a clear linear connection between the two organizations, he says.

"If you look at Videre and Cyborg Nest, they both deal with people, they both want to create a better world, they both come from a positive place, and they both also deal with technology," he observes. "At Videre we used to invent and build devices for people to use. I think we're living in what I call the Leonardo Da Vinci era, where every person needs to be able to do a lot of stuff and create his path in life, not just with the skills he has but also other [resources]."

Will there be an artificial sense that can be used in areas such as human rights and education eventually? Babitz remains tight-lipped about the company's future plans, except to say that it's still early days for some of the things they would like to do. At present, they are focused on building Cyborg Nest's brand and he is careful to stress that the North Sense is far from a DIY open-source product that one might hack onto one's body with a tool kit and/or a flagrant disregard for pain, as is the case with other body hacks.

While artificial senses might raise eyebrows now, he believes there will be a market for different kinds of body implants in the near future. More importantly for entrepreneurial types, Cyborg Nest is proof that such a venture can be financially sustainable. Despite being a new company in an obscure field, it is making money and has paying clients.

"It still surprises me that people are pre-ordering artificial senses. They're not pre-ordering a new hat, so this is a very cool place to be as humans – and I'm lucky to be a part of it," says Babitz.

The North Sense retails for $419 and is expected to ship in late January or early February.

Source: Cyborg Nest