Anatomics: Co-engineering body and machine in pursuit of synergistic bionic performance

Abstract

Bionic devices have the potential to transform human mobility. For this promise to be fully realized, it is important that the body and machine elements of bionic systems be seamlessly integrated. One challenge to this level of integration is that the majority of development efforts are focused on the machine, while the body is left unaltered. This leads to suboptimal body–machine interactions, which limits the efficacy of the bionic system. In this review, I explore an alternative design paradigm, which I call “anatomics,” in which body and machine are engineered in parallel. I highlight historical and recent examples of anatomics as applied to clinical problems, and discuss how these approaches have enabled the field of bionics to make progress in overcoming long-standing challenges. I also attempt to demystify the anatomics process by outlining the most important lessons I have learned while working in this space.