World's first Bionic man, REX

The Bionic Man is the world's first robot human made entirely
of prosthetic parts.

While scientists have built many artificial organs individually, they have never before been put together to create an entire human body. Rex or as he has recently been renamed Frank (after Frankenstein), the world's first fully functional bionic man has just changed that. Now on display at the National Air And Space Museum in Washington D.C., the human clone was assembled in three short months using state-of-the-art organs that were donated by 17 manufacturers- A good thing given that the total cost came to about $1 million USD.

Million-dollar man

Roboticists Rich Walker and Matthew Godden of Shadow Robot Co. in England led the assembly of the bionic man from prosthetic body parts and artificial organs donated by laboratories around the world.

The robot, which cost almost $1 million to build, was modeled in some physical aspects after Bertolt Meyer, a social psychologist at the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, who wears one of the world's most advanced bionic hands. 

The bionic man is six and half feet tall, weighs 170lbs and can sit, stand and walk with the help of an exoskeleton that is used to help people with spinal injuries.

While the exterior is certainly interesting, it is as they say what's on the inside, that matters - And in Rex's case there is plenty - Starting from most technologically advanced robotic limbs to a functioning heart that pumps oxygen and artificial blood around his body. He also has a lung, kidney, heart, spleen and even a pancreas. A retinal implant allows the bionic man to sense objects around him, while a cochlear insert enables him to hear.

All in all, Rex has about 60-70 percent functionality of a normal human. He is still missing some key parts like a digestive system, liver, skin and most importantly, a brain.

Rex who was first unveiled at London's Science Museum in February of this year, made his way across the Atlantic neatly packed up in two suitcases, earlier this month. After meeting with his fans at New York's Comic-Con, the bionic man flew to the National Air and Space Museum, where he will will be on display for a few months for all to admire, before heading back to England.