Meet Amal, the cyborg who has implanted wireless chips under his skin to gain SUPERHUMAN abilities
- Amal Graafstra has implants that let him open doors and log into his computer
- He's the CEO of a biohacking company that he runs out of his garage in Seattle
- He sells implant kits that allow anyone around the world to inject them in their hands but he suggests that customers find a professional piercer to do it
Humans will become cyborgs is the 'next step of human evolution'.
At least that's according to Amal Graafstra, an amateur biohacker from Seattle who has implanted wireless chips under his skin.
These chips allow him to enter his house, log on to his computer, start his motorcycle and even activate his smart gun, all with just the wave of a hand.
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Amal Graafstra has RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips implanted in his hands that allow him to enter his home, open his car door, log in to his computer and activate his smart gun
The 40-year-old father started a biohacking company, known as Dangerous Things, from his basement in 2013, where he makes implantable devices that can be shipped anywhere in the world.
The chips, called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips, use radio waves to wirelessly communicate with tags attached to objects.
The RFID chips in Mr Graafstra's hands can wirelessly identify tags attached to his house door and car, opening them when he passes his hand near them.
Mr Graafstra got his first implant in 2005, when he was working as an IT consultant for a group of medical clinics, where the only door he had to leave the building was an emergency crash-bar type door that always locked when it closed.
There was no option to unlock it, and he would use the door several times a day and sometimes forget his keys inside.
An x-ray scan showing the RFID chips implanted in Mr Graafstra's hands. Anyone can buy the implant kit, which ships worldwide
He'd be locked out and have to wait, sometimes for hours, for a security guard to arrive and let him in.
He told the MailOnline: 'That got me thinking about keys and how archaic they are.
'I just wanted the door to "know me" and let me in.
'I thought about the RFID chips that pets were getting implanted in their necks for identification purposes, and I realised I could use a similar chip with an access control system to open my door with a wave of the hand.
'I made several calls to manufacturers and found a chip that was suitable for implantation.
'Mostly I use my chips for access control applications like letting me in my house, garage, office, logging into my computer, starting my motorcycle, and more recently - activating my smart gun so only I can fire it.
Mr Graafstra had his first implant administered by a doctor and he says he didn't have a hard time convincing them to do it.
'These doctors were clients of mine.
'They understood I was not some crazy person, so they simply asked a couple questions before agreeing; "What is it? Do you think it's safe?"...that was it.
'They trusted I did my homework.'
Dangerous Things recommends that customers find a professional body piercing artist or body modification partners to implant the chip, but anyone can use the syringe to implant the device themselves
The implant is sold as a pre-loaded sterile injection which is injected into the webbing between the metacarpal bones of the index finger and thumb.
According to the Dangerous Things website: 'The installation process (in the suggested location and orientation) is about as painful as giving blood, getting a bee sting, or about as painful as most typical body piercings.
Dangerous Things sells RFID implant kits that include a sterile injector with a pre-loaded xNT chip and gauze for wound care
'There is a slight sharp pinching sensation as the needle initially pierces the skin, but after that it’s very easy going.
'We’ve had people actually say “that’s it?” afterward.'
After the chip is implanted, there can be some bruising and swelling, and the wound should stop bleeding and scab over after five to ten minutes.
Mr Graafstra told the MailOnline: 'I simply want what everyone wants...to be harder, better, faster, stronger.
'Humans always strive to push boundaries and enhance our capabilities.
'I can augment my humanity by integrating technology inside my body.'
In Washington state, you need a piercing license if you are charging a fee for the service, but since Dangerous Things doesn't charge for installation services, it is not operating a body piercing business so it doesn't require a license.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
Mr Graafstra has five implants on his hands and arms. They all give him access control of one type or another. Implant four is an early prototype of the new VivoKey he is developing
Amal Graafstra says biohacking is the next form or phase of human evolution
Mr Graafstra currently has five implants in his hands.
He used to have a magnet implanted in his skin to feel electromagnetic radiation, but he removed it because it was starting to show signs of failure and he wanted to analyse the issue.
'We have since pulled all magnets from the store and we’re working on a new coating technique that will solve issues with the titanium coating,' he said.
The implant kits range in price from £30.68 ($39.00) for the xBT tag, to £195.89 ($249.00) for the flexDF transponder.
One of his implants is a new project he's been working on: the VivoKey (formerly called UKI).
The VivoKey allows people to carry cryptographic keys in their bodies as opposed to external devices, allowing developers to create apps for it like secure payments.
Mr Graafstra told Vice Motherboard that the VivoKey is: 'A very small, security oriented computer.
'The killer app for something like UKI is going to be payments and transit, so when you think about the ability to get rid of your keys and get rid of your wallet, now you're talking about something the average person can get behind.
'The bottom line is for Dangerous Things, the kind of the mission statement is that we believe that biohacking is the next form or phase of human evolution.'
Mr Graafstra (left) administering an implant to Kurt at ToorCamp, a hacker camp in Washington state where technology experts showcase projects they've been working on
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