IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2017 - 60

A chip implant "can do anything,
you just have to program it."

information military personnel would be able to
obtain from their own bodies without the need to
carry additional peripheral devices. Magnets can be
used as haptic devices by using peripherals to transmit data to them.

Information Receipt
you just have to program it" [1]. Participants used microchips to automate mundane tasks such as launching
maps with GPS coordinates preloaded. It is foreseeable
that NFC or RFID microchips could be used as input triggers for more than just doors. For example, TriggerSmart (http://www.triggersmart.com/) develops guns
that can only be fired by someone with the correct RFID
tag (on a ring). These weapons are rendered useless and
harmless in the hands of a child, intruder, or other
unauthorized handler. This technology could be useful
in the military to ensure enemy personnel and civilians
are not able to activate guns or other weapons. However
in military contexts it may not make sense to tie one
weapon to one authorized person, as during a skirmish
another ally may need to fire another's weapon. Rather
access to one army's weapons may be based on clearance level or available to all members in the unit.
Indeed, since the 9th Annual Workshop on the Social
Implications of National Security, where this paper was
original presented, Amal Graafstra has built an RFIDactivated Sma r t Gun (http://motherboard.vice
.com/read/biohacking-smart-guns-RFID-implantsamal-graafstra).

Near Future Uses
Participants are experimenting with using insertables
for sensorial extension, information receipt, and biometrics. These technologies may be modified to suit
military purposes and could benefit from further
research and development.

Sensorial Extension
Neodymium magnets inserted near nerve endings
(e.g., at finger tips) allow individuals to "sense" electromagnetic fields. Magnets vibrate when they come into
contact with electromagnetic fields. This creates a
sensation of the field. For example, individuals can
"feel" the electrical current through a wire when a
device is in use. The sensation occurs when the magnet is near anything that creates a magnetic field, for
example when walking through anti-theft devices at
stores. While entirely speculative, it is possible these
could be used to detect enemy weapons or signals
that produce an electromagnetic field. Military R&D
could explore which objects create these sensations
and can be "felt" with the magnets, and what

Some participants with magnets are experimenting
with novel uses. One participant strapped a bespoke
wearable over an inserted magnet and configured it to
receive data from a proximity sensor and create an
electromagnetic signal. The magnet vibrated as he
navigated blindfolded around the room. This would be
proof for a sensorial replacement in blind individuals.
Another participant connected a wearable, again over
a magnet, to a motion sensor to enable them to "feel"
when someone had entered a space. Several participants were experimenting with transmitting sound
waves to magnets in the tragus of their ears. They
could transmit music and other audio transmissions
while keeping their ears open to outside sounds.
These uses still required wearables and are not proven yet, but offer interesting possibilities for military
uses, such as:
■ navigation at night or, in other conditions factors
that impair vision such as smoke or haze;
■ detection of when someone enters a combat area;
■ audio input from the environment and transmissions from comrades or base, while wearing
adequate ear protection

Temperature Readings
Three participants were using biotherm RFID chips, integrated with a worn sensor, to record body temperature
information, while one participant developed an avantgarde device that transmitted body temperature via
Bluetooth to a Smartphone every 5 seconds [1]. Core
body temperature monitoring could be used to detect
infections early, particularly in tropical areas. Biological
information could be monitored in real time in the field
to check health status, either from within the body or
from sensors placed on the body above insertables. Monitoring vital signs (heart rate, respiration,
blood pressure) in the field would aid medic responses
to units.

Benefits for Military Uses
Insertable devices afford certain benefits over wearable
or luggable counterparts. They cannot be lost, they are
more difficult to steal, and they are invisible. For civilians, these devices enable interacting in their daily life
without the interruption of other modalities.
In this article we have explored how the current civilian use of insertables for access, authentication, and

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine

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march 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2017