Whether it be movies, video games, books, or comics, the sci-fi genre has allowed us to easily imagine a future where humans frequently undergo body modifications — sometimes to a point where every organic part has been replaced by something synthetic.
Franchises like Cyberpunk, Neuromancer, Blade Runner, and Altered Carbon immediately jump to mind.
But it seems we won't have to wait long until such body mods become commonplace, perhaps even within the next couple of decades (maybe even just years), as evidenced by a TikTok video showing a man successfully transforming one of his eye sockets into a functioning flashlight.
The man named Brian Stanley (@bsmachinist on TikTok) — an engineer and prototype machinist from South California — uploaded the video explaining that he'd previously lost his right eye to cancer, but managed to transform his prosthetic eyeball into a fully-functioning flashlight.
He referred to the tech as a "Titanium Skull Lamp", and added that it was "perfect for reading in the dark", probably in addition to helping him navigate dark spaces without needing a lamp or flashlight on his person.
Just check out the modification in the TikTok vid below:
@bsmachinist A brief demonstration of my Titanium Cyborg Eye as a flashlight! #technology #eyes #flashlight #led #prostheticeye #prosthetics #ocularprosthetics #oneeyegang #oneeye #cyborg #cyborgeye #cyberpunk #cyberpunkedgerunners ? Phonky Tribu - Funk Tribu
You can see just how the light adequately illuminates the spot Stanley's head is pointed at when turned on by a proximity sensor, and impressively, the engineer claims that the gizmo has a battery lifespan of roughly 20 hours and can even operate without heating up.
More than being a pretty cool mod, Stanley's flashlight eye is incredibly appealing in the sense that it serves a very useful function, and it wouldn't be surprising if other individuals with prosthetic eyes would be interested in getting a similar upgrade.
Browsing through his other videos, it also appears as if Stanley has experimented plenty on his prosthetic eye in the past, using different colors and cutout to achieve some seriously distinct and eye-catching looks. For example, he's created designs based off the "Sharingan" from Naruto, the look of the T800 from Terminator, and plenty of others that have earned him praise for his creativity and genius.
@bsmachinist I put some time aside today to lay in a new Iris design. I didn't really have a goal for it, just felt like being a little creative. #prostheticeye #eyes #cyberpunk #ocularprosthetics #cyborg #cyborgeye #terminator #cyberpunkfashion #fuckcancer #led ? Devil Eyes - Hippie Sabotage
@bsmachinist #terminator #terminatoreye #cyborg #cyborgeye #cyberpunk #cyberpunkfashion #ocularprosthetics #ocularprosthesis #retinoblastomasurvivor #fuckcancer #prostheticeye #prosthetics ? Terminator 2: Judgment Day Theme - Everrune
To us, it's pretty darned incredible what one can create with readily-available tools, and it only raises the question of just what other cool body mods could be done by those with a little bit of ingenuity and technical skill.
Of course, we hope that anyone trying out a modification to just do it responsibly, and without any risk to the safety of your own body.
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Cover image sourced from @bsmachinist on TikTok.
