Royal Society Discussion Meeting
Cyborg Futures - the challenge of implanting and integrating artificial muscles
9-10 June 2025
The Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London
Cyborg Futures
Emerging implantable artificial muscles offer the possibility to deliver the cyber-enhanced individual, restoring lost physical functions. Muscle-like power can be delivered exactly where is it needed inside the body, addressing conditions including age-related sarcopenia, stroke and degenerative diseases. These disruptive technologies face significant scientific challenges including biomechanical integration, biocompatibility, interconnectivity, energy supply, neurological interfacing and control. The field also raises important issues of ethical and fair use – how does physical function restoration reduce or increase inequality?
This Royal Society scientific meeting will be the first to address the challenges of the emerging fields of cyber-physical enhancement, robotic body restoration and implantable artificial muscles. The international event brings together world-leading researchers and innovators to address the scientific challenges of a cyborg future, with leading presentations and deep discussions in smart materials, artificial muscles, implantable and wearable electronics, soft robots, surgical implantation, biointerfacing, biomaterials, ethics and much more!
We look forward to see you at the Royal Society in London on 9-10 June!
The organisers: Jonathan Rossiter, Molly Stevens, Martin Birchall, Dario Farina, Majid Taghavi, Nazia Mehrban, and Eleftheria Iliadou
Speakers
Schedule
Monday 9 June, Day 1
09:00 Welcome by the Royal Society
Session 1 : Biosymbiotic artificial muscles
Lunch and Poster Session
Session 2 : Biosymbiotic control
17:30 Day 1 end
[Dinner for speakers]
Tuesday 10 June, Day 2
09:00 Start of Day 2
Session 3 : Biointerfacing and biomaterials
Lunch and Poster Session
Session 4 : Implantation, translation and ethics
17:30 Day 2 end
Special Issue of the Royal Society Interface Focus
Invited and contributed papers on Cyborg Futures will be published in a special issue of Royal Society Interface Focus. More information and how to submit articles will be announced soon!
Organisers
About the Royal Society
The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Founded in 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter from King Charles II. The Royal Society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, recognising excellence in science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, education and public engagement and fostering international and global co-operation.
