Biological & Neural Integrity / Human Augmentation
SUB-T05-042Sensory Augmentation
Definition
Sensory Augmentation examines extension, substitution or translation of sensory perception within the broader domain of therapeutic, assistive and elective technologies that extend cognitive, sensory or motor capability.
Why this matters
Failures concerning extension, substitution or translation of sensory perception can cause physical or psychological harm, loss of function, privacy invasion, identity compromise, exclusion, coercion or irreversible impact on human agency.
Research questions
Under which conditions can extension, substitution or translation of sensory perception be delivered, measured or protected reliably, and how do outcomes vary by person, device, duration, context and governance controls?
Hypotheses
A transparent, safety-bounded and person-centred approach to sensory augmentation, combining validated measurement, informed consent, privacy and security controls, human oversight and longitudinal monitoring, will improve benefit–risk outcomes compared with opaque or technology-centred approaches.
Proposed methods
controlled performance testing; longitudinal outcome measurement; human-factors evaluation; equity analysis; dependency assessment; user interviews; ethics and policy review; expert and affected-user review; reproducibility testing; methods adapted specifically to Sensory Augmentation
Stakeholders and beneficiaries
augmentation users; patients; clinicians; therapists; employers; insurers; manufacturers; disability advocates; regulators; carers