Nicknamed the 'superpower documentary' and generating buzz even before airing, the first installment, 'Cyborg,' of KBS's three-part major project 'Transhuman' has finally been released. Narrator Han Hyo-joo delivered the new possibilities of robotic arms, artificial hearts and other technologies that fill deficits and make humans stronger in the era of "human augmentation" in a warm voice.
On Wednesday the 12th, the first episode, 'Cyborg,' of KBS's major project 'Transhuman' addressed the fusion of humans and machines, a staple theme of science fiction films. The PSYONIC company's "biomechanical arm" from the United States and the CARMAT company's "total artificial heart (TAH)" from France were introduced as representative "cyborg technologies."
In 1998, British professor Kevin Warwick implanted an RFID device in his arm and conducted experiments connecting human nerves with electronic devices. This progressed into a remote arm experiment in 2002, opening a new era of bioengineering. As of 2025, Mandy Persley, who was born with a limb difference, can perform delicate tasks such as sewing with a biomechanical prosthetic arm.
Jason Barnes, who had his arm amputated after an electric shock accident, recovered his daily life by becoming a "cyborg drummer" who plays drums more precisely with a robotic arm capable of sensing speed and BPM. Also, Neil Harbisson, who was born colorblind but has an antenna implanted in his skull that allows him to "hear colors," was recognized by the U.K. government as the "first cyborg." He expanded the art world by creating "sonic portraits"—melodies that faces convey. Meanwhile, Jean-Yves LEBRENEZ of France, who suffered from end-stage heart failure, continues his life after receiving a factory-made total artificial heart (TAH).
The cutting-edge "limb amputation methods" of bioengineering authority Hugh Herr of MIT were also revealed. He had to have his leg amputated below the knee after a climbing accident. But after the accident he wore prosthetic legs he developed himself and led humanity with the "neural embodiment" technology. Professor Hugh Herr developed a new myoneural connection technique, AMI (agonist-antagonist Myoneural Interface), which links the muscle responsible for contraction and the opposing muscle responsible for relaxation to restore movement and sensation. In July he was conducting research on osseointegrated muscle-neural connections (OMP) that transmit signals originating in the brain through the spinal cord to biomechanical legs and return that sensory information to the brain.
These advanced technologies are not just "scientific" but a means of awakening emotions that are more "human" than anything else. Keith VonderHuvel, who has participated for 10 years in experiments at the Case Western Reserve University Human Integration Lab to feel sensation with a robotic hand, recalled the overwhelming emotion when he felt sensation with a biomechanical arm: I could feel myself holding my granddaughter. I don't usually hold my granddaughter wearing a prosthetic. (Because the prosthetic has no sensation) I was afraid I would hurt her... I cried when I held her.
Another bioengineering authority, Dr. Max Catalan, was captured rushing to help Ukrainian doctors during the war and struggling at the Kyiv complex of bone fusion and bioengineering center to return soldiers to daily life. Twelve years ago he implanted an implant made of "osseointegrated titanium" into truck driver Magnus's bone and attached electrodes to his muscles. It was the first case of directly connecting implants to bone, muscle and nerves. Dr. Max Catalan recalled, "Because there were implanted electrodes, surgical reconstruction and titanium implants that could extract information, AI could learn, and this patient was able to achieve additional finesse and additional control." Narrator Han Hyo-joo resonated deeply, saying, "Medicine saved their lives, but engineering implanted the will to live."
In Korea, research is in full swing on everything from walking robots that assist rehabilitation to wearable robots that ensure the safety and health of factory workers. At the 2024 Cybathlon held in Switzerland, Korea's KAIST team won in the wearable robot category with researcher Kim Seung-hwan, who became paralyzed in the lower body due to an accident, as the pilot. KAIST was the only team to complete all tasks. Reporting the encouraging sign of Korea's scientific ecosystem restoration, Han Hyo-joo posed the essential question: "A challenge that began to overcome fated limits. How will human life change in the coming future?"
Narrated in Han Hyo-joo's warm voice and introducing the frontier where machines and humans meet, KBS's three-part major project 'Transhuman' will air on KBS1 at 10 p.m. every Wednesday for three weeks starting on the 12th,
[Photo] 'Transhuman'
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