Neil Harbisson

Harbisson was born in 1982 he is a cyborg artist, musician and performer whom is best know for his ability to hear colours as he was unable to see anything in colour. In 2004 he was the first person to ever be fitted with what is called an 'eyeborg' when he was officially recognised as a cyborg by the government. The eyeborg allows Harbisson to hear the colours as the camera that is mounted on his head picks up the colours that are directly in its view, it then converts the colours into real-time sound waves, allowing him to hear what colours are around him.

He first heard about the eyeborg when he was in his second year at Dartington College of Arts, where he attended a lecture on cybernetics and sensory extensions which was give by Adam Montandon. He took a strong interest in this, partly due to his own condition - this is probably where the idea of him getting the eyeborg first started.

This camera has become such a big part of him and his identity so much to the point that he has been allowed to wear it in his passport photograph.

Neil Harbisson has a strong interest in art, before he had the eyeborg fitted allowing him to hear colours, he initially worked in black, white and charcoal. Having the eyeborg has allowed him to widen the variety of colours that he uses, allowing him to venture out of only using black and white he was now able to paint in colour - so really having the eyeborg fitted was a blessing, it has allowed him to visualise things differently to everyone else.