this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2024
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This isn’t a prosthetic that was remotely disabled, this is failing hardware that doesn’t have support from the original company which is in the process of going bankrupt.
I get where you’re coming from, and agree. Prosthesis and health devices should absolutely not be remotely controllable by a company. But you can’t really help a company shutting down.
And I highly doubt there are any open source implants which help sure blindness that are ready for prime time.
But still, if the technology is open, then someone may design some compatible replacement hardware. Imagine some makers community rig a replacement for the blind without carrying about profitability.
That’s one aspect, absolutely.
The other side of that coin though, is if you really want random people tinkering with things directly attached to your body, without having a proper way to test beforehand?
These types of devices need to go through testing before they reach human trials for a reason. While I’m happy to trust security of data and even control of my while home to FOSS communities, I honestly don’t know that I’d trust anonymous individuals online with no skin in the game with my literal body.
Yeah, that's a legitimate concern, but letting this technology die along with a dying company is a waste. Imagine it getting brought by some patent trolls who wouldn't do anything with it.