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The “human cyborg” in Cyborg: A Documentary is Neil Harbisson, an artist with achromatopsia who has an antenna implanted in his skull. A sensor detects color information and a system translates it into sound he perceives through bone conduction. Directed by Carey Born, the 2023 film follows Harbisson’s art, his collaboration with Moon Ribas, and the debate over whether people should redesign their senses.
What is Cyborg: A Documentary about?
The film is a portrait of Harbisson and a philosophical technology documentary, rather than a clinical study or an engineering guide. It follows his artistic practice and his belief that people should be able to design new senses, alongside his work with choreographer Moon Ribas and criticism of elective augmentation. Its central question is whether technology can become part of a person’s identity, rather than remaining an external tool.
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Directed by Carey Born, the documentary premiered at CPH:DOX in 2023. The British Council UK Films Database lists an approximately 87-minute runtime, while platform listings give figures around 91 or 92 minutes. The BBFC records a UK cinema release on September 20, 2024. Production details are available from the British Council UK Films Database and the BBFC.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The filmmakers describe Harbisson as the world’s first “formally recognised cyborg.” That is a promotional and media description, not a universal legal status or an uncontested scientific category. Coverage links it to the UK passport controversy over whether his antenna could be included in his appearance; it should not be read as establishing a general legal precedent.
#1 Best Overall
Who is Neil Harbisson?
Harbisson is an artist and activist, raised in Catalonia and described as British-Irish-American. He was born with achromatopsia, a condition that severely limits color perception and is commonly described as producing grayscale vision. His interest in color led him to develop a sensory system that adds sound-based color information rather than restoring ordinary color vision. A profile and technical overview appear in Electronic Design’s account of Harbisson and the film.
How does Harbisson’s antenna work?
The antenna is not an artificial eye or a camera that sends images directly to his visual cortex. It is a sensory translation system: a sensor detects light frequencies, electronics map that information to sound frequencies, and the sound reaches Harbisson through bone conduction. He learned to interpret those signals as color information. The resulting experience is what he describes as “hearing” color.
Rank #2
- Detection: A sensor at the end of the antenna detects light and color information.
- Translation: A computer or microchip system converts the detected frequencies into corresponding sounds.
- Perception: The sound is transmitted through the skull by bone conduction, and Harbisson interprets it as color.
Harbisson and the film’s materials say the system can also represent infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths, beyond the normal visible spectrum. That is additional sound-based information, not ordinary sight. The official film site also describes the antenna as able to receive color-related information from external sources, including internet-connected sensors; those capabilities are presented by Harbisson and the filmmakers, rather than independently established here. See the official film site for its account.
Why does Moon Ribas appear in the film?
Ribas is a choreographer and creative collaborator whose work widens the documentary’s focus beyond Harbisson’s color-to-sound system. The film’s materials describe her as using implanted seismic sensors to perceive earthquakes and incorporate that information into her art. The pair’s work illustrates their view of augmentation as a way to create new sensory experiences and artistic material, not only as a means of treating illness.
Rank #3
Harbisson and Ribas are associated with cyborg art: artistic practice built around technologically mediated senses or cybernetic extensions. The Cyborg Foundation describes its mission as promoting cybernetic-based art, supporting people who want to become cyborgs, and defending cyborg rights. The phrase “cyborg” itself can cover many situations, from pacemakers and cochlear implants to prostheses and neural interfaces; this film emphasizes elective, identity-centered augmentation.
What does the film raise about augmentation and disability?
The documentary presents bodily self-design as an argument about autonomy and identity, but the idea also prompts practical and ethical questions. An elective implant may be artistic or experimental rather than therapeutic, leaving unclear which medical and regulatory pathways apply. The film reportedly depicts Harbisson encountering opposition from bioethical committees before doctors agreed to perform the procedure; that account is presented through the documentary and related coverage, not as a complete record of institutional review.
Rank #4
- Autonomy: Who should decide whether an implant is medical treatment, an artistic choice, or an experiment?
- Identity: If a device becomes part of how someone experiences the world, where is the line between tool and body?
- Disability politics: Celebrating augmentation can challenge narrow ideas of normal perception, but describing disabled people as needing upgrades risks implying that one kind of body is superior.
- Data and privacy: Connected or sensor-based devices raise questions about who can access the information they collect.
- Dependence and safety: Surgery, hardware failure, infection, batteries, software support, repair, and obsolescence are relevant risks to consider. The film’s existence does not establish that such systems are risk-free, and these concerns should not be mistaken for documented complications in Harbisson’s case.
- Access: If elective enhancements become useful or desirable, unequal ability to afford them could create new forms of advantage.
The film gives viewers a subject’s perspective and a debate about human identity; it is not a clinical trial, proof that sensory implants are broadly safe, or a neutral evaluation of the technology.
Where can you watch it in the United States?
U.S. availability and prices can change by location and date. Listings checked on August 16, 2026 showed the following options:
Best Value
| Service | Listing at the check date | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Tubi | Free with ads; listing showed a 2023 documentary of about 1 hour 32 minutes. | A no-cost option with advertising; catalog availability can vary by country. |
| The Roku Channel | Listed as free with ads in the U.S. availability check dated July 16, 2026. | Check the current listing before viewing; availability can change. |
| Amazon Prime Video | The search result displayed a $2.99 HD rental and a $9.99 HD purchase. | Transactional prices and regional listings may change. |
| Apple TV | The U.S. page confirms the title, documentary classification, 2023 release, and roughly 91-minute runtime; no current price was exposed in the search result. | Use the page to check current availability; a purchase price was not established. |
For a separate film sometimes confused with this one, Peter: The Human Cyborg follows Peter Scott-Morgan and his response to motor neurone disease; it is not the documentary about Harbisson. Channel 4’s press material covers that distinct subject: Channel 4.
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