Most Canberrans would consider themselves open to new technology and early adopters of it, but would you insert a microchip into your body? Company Chip My Life is offering the technology to do so.
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The innovative technology is supposed to revolutionise keys. The idea being that while people once carried keys to open office doors, they have mostly replaced by wearable access dongles, worn around the neck or clipped onto clothing. Some people have now taken the voluntary step to use the technology from these dongles and insert it into their bodies, according to the company’s website.
Canberrans are generally considered early adopters of new technology, and more than 100 people in the national capital have already ordered their insertable microchips from Chip My Life.
Canberra Innovation Network chief executive Petr Adamek has previously said Canberrans are open to innovation for a number of reasons, including being generally well-off, educated and open-minded.
In an interview earlier this year about the apparent success of the dockless bike system in the ACT, Mr Adamek said the scheme had survived in the national capital because "smart people" live here.
Meanwhile the streets of Sydney and Melbourne were being defaced with damaged and rejected bikes.
"Canberrans are progressive and willing to try new things, which is really important for the innovation process. For the early stage of that process, it's really important that it's done with people who are open to new things. Failure is normal for them, and if something needs to be broken, it can be broken here [in Canberra] and fixed."
It can be seen in other examples, like the ACT being the first Australian jurisdiction to legalise ride-sharing. We’ve more recently had trials to look at the delivery of medicine and coffee delivered by drone. Pill-testing has been approved for the second year running at upcoming music festival Groovin the Moo.
So is it the case with all new technology? Could insertable microchips be the next big thing in the national capital? Would you be willing to put a microchip in your body?
At the moment, the Chip My Life founders say the storage capacity is still progressing. The microchip can hold credit card details and swipe-access technology, but as for GPS and movement tracking, the capability is not yet there.
Insertable technology brings a whole new range of health and ethical questions. It remains to be seen whether Canberrans on the whole will embrace this technology.
