Nigel Ackland claims he is an ordinary man. But, after seeing the emotional impact he had on the audience at GF2045, I have to disagree with him. His speech titled Ordinary… Extraordinary. Life with a Bionic Arm was in my view by far the most moving of all the conference presentations. And so, I knew instantly that I have to interview Nigel on my Singularity 1 on 1 podcast.
During my conversation with Ackland we cover a variety of interesting topics such as: Nigel’s traumatic accident and consequent depression; the crude prosthesis he had to struggle with and the fortunate connection with RSL Steeper; his bebionic hand – the cost, availability and operation thereof; why the major benefits of his bionic arm are psychological; the impact and importance of shaking hands; why and how the Paralympic games may become more interesting than the Olympics; whether people will eventually volunteer to get advanced prosthetics to enhance their abilities; why sensory feedback is necessary for full functionality…