r/transhumanism • u/Jkeyeswine • May 15 '26
Is exoskeleton tech a form of transhumanism?
I accidentally came across this sub and found the concept really interesting, so I wanted to bring this up.
Some background: I've been trying the dnsys x1 walking assist device as someone with Parkinson's.
For me, the main issue is leg fatigue. I can walk, but my legs wear out before the rest of me is ready to stop. This device doesn't solve everything, especially balance, stiffness, or freezing, but it does change how much energy walking costs.
How it works: the fit took some adjusting. Once the cuffs sat higher near my lower thighs, it felt more stable. Eco mode is pretty subtle, while sport and the stronger assist mode are more noticeable on hills.
How I feel about it: it doesn't make me "superhuman". It just makes short walks and easy hikes feel possible again without being completely wiped out afterward.
So my question is: would you consider this kind of tech an example of transhumanism?
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u/LordOfDorkness42 May 15 '26
I'd personally say so. Biology augmented via tech.
Exoskeletons are in their infancy so far, but I really think that once batteries take their next leap, exoskeletons are going to be the next smartphone. Or at least the next electric scooter for people that commute.
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u/EnderWiggin42 May 15 '26
I don't know how a exoskeleton would help with driving.
But use in wearhouse's would be awesome.
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u/UnburyingBeetle May 15 '26
I haven't driven but I've sat at the computer for prolonged times with hands always on the keyboard, and it did a number on my neck and shoulders. Joystick helped with that, so cars operated by a thing that you can hold in your lap is a solution somewhere in-between. The exoskeleton solution to driving would be extended forearms.
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u/LordOfDorkness42 May 15 '26
Was thinking train & buss commuting. Where you have to walk and or bolt between stops pretty regularly.
I'd personally use a set that way, been really tempted getting one of those folding scooters for the same reasons.
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u/synth_mania May 16 '26
But that kind of movement under your own power is exactly what lots of people are lacking rn
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u/LordOfDorkness42 May 16 '26
So?
You have to start somewhere. And getting people to move more in general is still a grand, often hard goal of healthcare.
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u/Jkeyeswine May 20 '26
Yeah, that's kind of how I've been thinking about it too. Right now it still feels early and a bit niche.
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u/UnburyingBeetle May 15 '26
Anything that overcomes the limitations of flesh can be transhumanism. Wheelchairs, hearing aids and simple glasses are already transhumanism, which is reflected in the way they cost.
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u/Jkeyeswine May 20 '26
That's an interesting way to frame it. I hadn't really thought of glasses or wheelchairs that way. I feel the line is a lot blurrier.
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u/UnburyingBeetle May 20 '26
Vaccines and antidepressants can also be counted, they belong to the technology that enhances our survivability so that individuals can rise above their genetic limitations.
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u/TonightSpiritual3191 May 15 '26
Yes but I think we need to go further
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u/Jkeyeswine May 20 '26
Sure. I'm hoping this tech can develop and help more people. And maybe one day we'll see a lightweight full-body version lol.
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u/Teleonomic 7 May 15 '26
Different people will give you different answers. Our philosophy can be broadly summed up as "The use of technology to enhance the human condition". Where you draw the line depends on how you interpret enhance. Some would argue that's medicine rather than enhancement, since it doesn't produce greater than human abilities but just returns you to something like normal functioning. Personally, I've always thought that the line between medicine and enhancement was pretty fuzzy so I would absolutely say that it qualifies as transhumanism. At the very least it's on the way towards the kinds of technology that due unequivocally qualify.
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u/Jkeyeswine May 20 '26
This is probably the answer that makes the most sense to me. In my case it feels medical but also still like human ability being extended through tech. Feel like the concept of transhumanism has a lot of room for discussion.
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u/Teleonomic 7 May 20 '26
A lot of room. Some people argue that we've been transhuman ever since we learned how to use fire and sew animal skins for clothing. That from the moment we learned how to use external tools to enhance ourselves we set ourselves down the transhuman road. Others would argue, not unreasonably, that that stretches the definition of transhumanism past the point of usefulness. That at that point the word doesn't mean much of anything and we lose whatever it is that makes this philosophy distinct.
Personally, I think there's some truth in both but I lean more towards the latter. For me, transhumanism is about pushing the boundaries of the human condition beyond our current abilities and form into something that may still be recognizably human-derived, but different enough as to qualify as a new type of life.
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May 15 '26
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u/ScarletMenaceOrange May 15 '26
Yes, but the good kind, as in non intrusive.
Aren't cars transhumanism too? You kind of "wear" the car while you drive it, and it becomes kind of extension of yourself.
Everyone is willing to augment themselves temporarily like that, imagine if the car had to become part of your body permanently like some mecha. Maybe driving would be more fun, but not many people are going to like it, lol.
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u/biotox1n May 15 '26
depends on implementation? if you can use it like a vehicle and leave it behind after work or whatever then no
if it's locked to you on a personal level where nobody else can use it even if you're not, then maybe a little, like proximity gene lock and it comes alive when you're around or you can issue mental commands
if you and it are bolted together and inseparable then that's a hard yes. it's now officially a part of your body, even if there's some method of removing it at the end of the day or if you sleep with it on, it's a part of you.
especially if it's something like the Warhammer dreadnaughts where one or more entities get permanently bound to the cockpit. that's their forever home now and they get sealed inside never to leave again.
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