Idiobionics: Unifying Privacy and Intelligent Robotic Prostheses

This paper proposes "idiobionics," a novel field of study dedicated to the critical intersection of privacy and intelligent robotic prostheses. As bionic limbs become increasingly sophisticated, integrating advanced sensors and AI-based control, they transform into semi-autonomous wearable robotic systems that co-adapt with their users. While these advancements significantly enhance user capabilities, they simultaneously introduce new threat vectors that malicious entities could exploit to compromise user privacy. The authors argue that understanding and addressing these privacy risks is paramount for the full realization and widespread adoption of next-generation bionic limbs. The paper defines idiobionics, grounds it within existing literature, and provides preliminary evidence illustrating potential adversarial attacks against intelligent bionic limb designs. It concludes by presenting a curated list of open research questions, aiming to guide future research in wearable robotics and other human-facing autonomous systems to unlock the full potential of these devices while safeguarding user privacy.