'Citizen Bio': Meet Tim Cannon who implanted smartphone-sized sensor into his arm to measure biometrics
Showtime's latest documentary, 'Citizen Bio', is a fascinating look into the world of biohacking. Of the individuals we meet and learn about in the documentary, there are a few who stand out. One is definitely Aaron Traywick, on whom the documentary focuses primarily. The self-proclaimed biohacker was found unconscious in a sensory deprivation isolation tank in a float spa while under the influence of ketamine in February 2018.
In the documentary, there are a few other interesting individuals we meet, particularly those who were closely associated with Traywick for their work. There is Tristan Roberts who tested DIY HIV gene therapy on himself, Josiah Zayner who injected himself with gene therapy to make himself bigger, and Gabriel Licina who tested out night vision eye drops on himself, to name a few.
Among the biohackers featured in the movie, there is one who is featured very briefly but would certainly be on everyone's mind. This biohacker is seen implanting a large — about the size of a 2010s smartphone to be precise — device into his arm. He also claims that he did not use anesthesia during the procedure. This biohacker is Tim Cannon, a software developer, entrepreneur and biohacker, who is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the Chief Information Officer of Grindhouse Wetware, a biotechnology startup company that creates technology to augment human capabilities.
Among biohackers, Cannon is quite a legend — he has multiple implants in his body, including an RFID tag in his hand and magnetic implants in a finger, wrist, and tragus — a small pointed part of the external ear. These implants were done on a DIY basis because legal and ethical restrictions prevent doctors or anesthetists from doing these procedures. Cannon had the finger magnets implanted in May 2012 to give him an "extra sense" and the ability to feel electromagnetism.
It was in October 2013 that Cannon got the large device implanted into his arm. The device was called Circadia and was designed by Grindhouse. The biometric sensor sent Cannon's temperature to his phone through a Bluetooth connection. The device also mimicked bioluminescence with subdermal LEDs. After a few months as an initial proof-of-concept test, a series of panic attacks led to the device's removal. Cannon was then working to design an improved, customer-friendly version of the Circadia implant that would measure more biometrics such as blood glucose, blood oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate data. The version he and his team are currently working on is specifically for cattle and to record animal welfare.
Two years later, in November 2015, Cannon implanted a prototype of Grindhouse's Northstar device into his right arm during the Cyborg Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany. The device was slightly larger than a coin and contained five LED lights, creating a bioluminescent effect when touched with a magnet (like those implanted in Cannon's fingers). The device had the capacity to blink around 10,000 times before the battery ran out. It was presented as a way to light up tattoos.
'Citizen Bio' premiered on Showtime on Friday, October 30, at 9/8c.
