Rise of 'cyberpunk' artificial limbs challenges society's perceptions of disability

In the passenger seat of a taxi, Sai Benyuan flexes the metallic fingers of his "new hand".Soft mechanical sounds — "shick-shick" — pulse from the black exterior of the prosthetic.

The driver sitting beside him suddenly grips the wheel tight. His eyes scan the glint from the shiny knuckles, lock on Sai's face, then drop back to the shifting mechanical hand. This uneasy exchange happens many times.

When the taxi nears its destination, the driver's nervous question breaks the silence: "Are you … a robot?"

Sai, a 28-year-old artist who graduated from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, replies with a quick "no". But for others, the answer is more nuanced.

In recent years, an increasing number of young people in China with disabilities have been stepping out in public equipped with "cyberpunk prosthetics".

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In the world of science fiction and video games, "cyborg" heroes have long enthralled audiences with their shiny limbs and steely resolve. Now, that futuristic fantasy is crossing into real life — and redefining how society views disability.

Young amputees are proudly showing off their metallic arms and legs. Hashtags like "Flesh is weak, the machine ascends" and "Join the glorious evolution" go beyond expressions of gamer culture to declarations of identity, pride and belonging.

"In the 21st century, cyberpunk has entered the mainstream," Zhejiang Xingyuan Prosthetics & Orthotics Co wrote in a recent post. "It's a friendly term for prosthetic users — they are the true cyborgs of the world. Flesh meets steel, and that union is a badge of courage."

Infinite possibilities

Born without a left hand below the wrist, Sai grew up dreaming of something more. He was captivated by the anime character Astro Boy, who could shoot lasers from his fingertips. The notion of a mechanical hand took root early.

"I used to joke with my parents that one day, I'd have a laser-shooting hand," he recalled. "I waited all the way to adulthood."

In December, after nearly three decades, Sai received his myoelectric prosthetic — a sleek device weighing about 1 kilogram that responds to signals from his own muscles.

Myoelectric prosthetics detect faint electrical impulses from the muscles in the residual limb. These are then amplified, analyzed, and translated into precise movements of the fingers on his left hand, although he was born without one.

Before being fitted, Sai underwent extensive electromyographic testing at a rehabilitation center in Shanghai. Technicians mapped out which muscles controlled grasping, opening, and the nuanced motions of individual fingers.

Each signal had to be carefully calibrated — a process of delicate fine-tuning between machine and body. Once fitted, Sai began a month of daily training, teaching his brain and muscles how to command the device as if it were second nature.

Today, the results speak for themselves and erase many minor inconveniences that "people with two hands cannot imagine".

"One of the things that have beset me for a long time was that I could not applaud, not just for others, but for myself. But now, I am happy I can do both," Sai said.

On the streets, curious children sometimes glance at his metallic fingers. When they do, Sai lifts his cybernetic hand and waves.

As an artist, he has trained his new hand to paint, play the drums, and experiment with street dance.

"Human imagination of technology is limited. I cannot imagine what my hand will be like in the future, but I am sure the dream of playing the piano is not far off," he said.

As for the taxi driver's question on the boundary between humans and robots, Sai said: "The machine is an extension of my body, but my body is also an extension of 'me'."

The Olympics select the strongest humans, while the Paralympics showcase the most indomitable human spirits, he said. Perhaps in the near future, the Paralympics will undergo a transformation, evolving into a "Superhuman Olympics" that celebrates the perfect fusion of human willpower and technology, Sai said.

Rise of 'neo-people'

The growing trend of cyberpunk prosthetics receiving exposure on social media is cultivating a new narrative about disabilities, said Zhang Wei, a medical sociology scholar at Renmin University of China. This narrative goes beyond a "disease-centric" focus and empowers disabled communities.

Zhang said showcasing artificial limbs online serves two purposes. It creates strong in-group identity through digital diaries of daily life, while social media comment sections become a community hub for group members to help each other by sharing life experiences and offering support. This public visibility breaks down social barriers by amplifying voices to attract policymakers and charities.

"Both disability and the cyberpunk aesthetic represent just one facet," Zhang said. "We need to recognize their need for a fitting, self-defined social identity."

Academics have proposed terms like "neo-people" for those embracing new bodies and capabilities through technology, she added.

Prosthetic designers, stylists, and even runway models are carving out careers in an industry once dominated by medical necessity.

"It's not my flaw; it's my armor," said Weng Youyou, 30, the owner of a clothing factory, who lost her left leg and arm in a car accident in 2020. In April, she walked down a fashion runway drawing cheers from the crowd, her prosthetic leg gleaming under the spotlight.

Weng said the moment she knew she would undergo an amputation, she began imagining what her prosthetic could look like. She was determined not to hide it, and wanted it personalized. "Being seen is a kind of progress in itself," she said.

Her current profile photo on social media is a comic book depiction of herself with a custom prosthetic shell outfitted with LED lights, matching her short hair dyed in shades of electric blue and purple. "I want to expose it," she said. "Prosthetics need to be seen."

To her, a prosthetic is no more unusual than a pair of glasses — a practical extension of the body, designed to help someone live a better life. The problem, she added, is that society is too accustomed to looking away.

This is precisely why visibility matters. "Everyone has some kind of physical limitation. No one's body is perfect," she said. "One day, I hope people will see prosthetics as naturally as they see glasses."

Value shift

Though a generation raised under the glow of cyberculture seems more inclined to showcase their mechanical limbs, for many elder amputees, the journey toward accepting their altered bodies is far more difficult.

Zhang said the term "disability" traditionally carries a heavy burden, often equated with incompleteness, illness, or inadequacy that require correction, or cure, to return to the so-called mainstream.

For Yang Bing, a 42-year-old now living in Beijing, openly revealing her prosthetic leg has been a long road toward reconciliation with herself. More than two decades after her amputation, she finally fitted herself with a top-of-the-line, cyberpunk-style smart prosthetic last year.

"It's less about the relationship between humans and technology," she said, "and more about the relationship between a person and their inner self."

"I was a master at hiding my leg," Yang said. Before she embraced her cyberpunk prosthetic, few of her friends or co-workers knew she wore an artificial limb. A foam sleeve wrapped in flesh-colored stockings disguised it well enough.

This year, she finally began revealing her cyberpunk limb to the world — and came to a comforting conclusion: "There really aren't that many spectators out there." The strange stares she once feared were far fewer than she had imagined.

Sai has observed the same generational divide.

"There's a clear difference between younger and older Chinese amputees when it comes to whether they're willing to expose their prosthetics," he said. At the clinic where he received his prosthetic, older clients often request flesh-toned cosmetic covers, while he himself firmly refuses any form of concealment.

Tech progress

About 17.36 million people in China live with limb disabilities, including over 1.7 million who are lower-limb amputees in 2023, according to National Bureau of Statistics data.

In addition, over 45 million people in China have lower-limb functional impairments, with conditions including osteoarthritis, stroke, or partial paralysis.

With chronic illnesses such as diabetes on the rise — as well as a growing number of traffic accidents — those numbers are expected to climb, according to a recent report on China's prosthetics industry by consultancy Huaon.

The evolution of prosthetics has mirrored the broader story of modern science — from the rubber limbs and metal hydraulic joints of the last century, to today's smart prostheses controlled by muscle signals. Leaps in technology have brought prosthetics closer to being both functional and widely accessible, Zhang said.

China has made giant strides in fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, and brain-computer interfaces in recent years. At the Cybathlon 2024, known as the "Olympics of assistive technologies", in Zurich, Switzerland, a Chinese team led by Professor Song Aiguo from Southeast University using a domestically developed smart prosthetic, won gold in the "Upper Limb Prosthesis" category, setting a new benchmark.

Companies like BrainCo have made breakthroughs in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, allowing users remarkably fine control to writing and use keyboards with upper-limb prosthetics. They have also achieved near-natural walking patterns for lower-limb users.

Han Bicheng, BrainCo's founder, said the brain's neural signals are extraordinarily faint — roughly one-millionth the voltage of a single AA battery.

"It's like trying to record the flutter of a mosquito's wings from 50 kilometers away," Han told the Shanghai Observer.

Social inclusion

Zheng Youjun, chairman of Zhejiang Xingyuan Prosthetics &Orthotics Co, said his company distributes both imported and domestic products.

On the international side are brands like Ottobock and Ossur, and among Chinese makers are BrainCo and OYMotion. Sales volumes between the two camps are now roughly equal.

Zheng said that China-produced bionic hands are among the best in the world. They typically range from 90,000 to 140,000 yuan ($12,540 to $19,500) — significantly less than imported models, which can run up to 500,000 yuan.

Government support exists, but varies across regions, said Lu Xian of the Zhejiang Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation. He highlighted a recent program that involved 300 of BrainCo's latest smart prosthetics being fitted free of charge across the province.

"We hope more high-tech innovators will bring their breakthroughs into this space," Lu said. "We need more good products to genuinely improve the quality of life for people with limb loss."

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In May, Guangzhou Advance-Tech Co partnered with Hong Kong-based nonprofit organization Stand Tall to launch a smart prosthetic limb replacement program for Wenchuan earthquake survivors. Over 500 survivors of the earthquake have received domestically produced smart prosthetic limbs free of charge.

Zhang, who has researched Type 1 diabetes through fieldwork in remote rural areas in China, emphasized the critical role of grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and tech companies' participation.

"Like capillary networks, local units and civil society groups can reach communities overlooked by the public and commercial healthcare sectors.

"Support for these groups, including financial aid, health education, and disease management, requires a collective societal effort," Zhang said.

Contact the writer at houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn