Introducing Rex, the million dollar bionic man
A 6ft tall bionic man, complete with working artificial organs, synthetic blood and functioning limbs, has gone on display at London's Science Museum.
The human-like machine, called Rex, was built to showcase the extent to which technology can reproduce human parts.
Dubbed the Million Dollar Man (that's how much he cost to make), he incorporates some of the latest advances in bionic limbs, as well as an artificial pancreas, kidney, spleen and trachea.
Artificial arteries carry man-made blood, and a microchip interprets images and acts as a rudimentary eye.
"We were surprised how many of the parts of the body can be replaced," said Rich Walker, managing director of Shadow Robot, which built Rex. "There are some vital organs missing, like the stomach, but 60 to 70% of a human has effectively been rebuilt."
In a new Channel 4 documentary due to air on Thursday 7 February, Walker and fellow robotics expert Matthew Godden, discuss how they came to build the 6ft 6in tall Android.
How to Build a Bionic Man follows psychologist Bertolt Meyer, who has a bionic hand himself, as he meets scientists working at the cutting edge of research to find out just how far this new technology can go.
While exploring the latest medical developments, the programme also hints at the implications these advances may raise for mankind in the future.
A sneak peak of the documentary can be found in the video below.
Anyone interested in meeting Rex can do so at the British Science Museum's Who Am I? gallery from 7 February to 11 March.
