--- title: "A Guy Lost His Eye and Put a Bright Light Into the Socket" description: "Skull Lamp Southern California-based engineer and prototype machinist Brian Stanley has gone viral with a TikTok video of a \"Terminator\"-style cyborg eye flashlight that can brighten up an entire room. \"I lost my eye to cancer, so I made this and turned my head into a flashlight,\" the caption reads. The name of his invention: […]" date: "2022-10-24" modified: "2022-10-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/eye-cyborg-flashlight" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Prosthetics and Devices" tags: - "cyborg" - "cyborg implant" - "the digest" --- # A Guy Lost His Eye and Put a Bright Light Into the Socket ![Engineer and prototype machinist Brian Stanley has gone viral with a video of a cyborg eye flashlight that can light up an entire room.]() *\Image: bgmachinist via TikTok\* ## Skull Lamp Southern California-based engineer and prototype machinist Brian Stanley has gone viral with a [TikTok video]() of a "Terminator"-style cyborg eye flashlight that can light up an entire room. "I lost my eye to cancer, so I made this and turned my head into a flashlight," the caption reads. The name of his invention: "Titanium Skull Lamp." "It's perfect for reading in the dark as well!" Stanley added. It's an amazing example of what's possible with simple, off-the-shelf electronics and some clever machining. We've seen plenty of other examples of [cyborg-like eyes]() in the past, but none like this — why didn't anybody else think of it? https://www.tiktok.com/@bsmachinist/video/7157587293451062574?is\_from\_webapp=v1&item\_id=7157587293451062574 ## Light 'em Up The video shows how the flashlight functions, effortlessly lighting up Stanley's hallway and bathroom. Most impressively, the cyborg eye perfectly illuminates only the area the engineer is currently pointing his head at, making it the ultimate handsfree tool. According to the video, the eye has a battery life of roughly 20 hours, and "it does not get hot," Stanley writes. In fact, the eye can go even brighter. "This is half of my maximum power output," he added. "Safety is paramount, I will work my way to full power eventually." The eye flashlight can be turned on and off via what appears to be a proximity sensor. Stanley has also experimented with a range of different colors and even pupil shapes. During last year's Halloween, for instance, he made [ghost and pumpkin-shaped filters](). For this year's Halloween, he's gone with an [amazing Jack Skellington eye](). And yes, Stanley has taken his cyborg eye to a haunted house to freak out the performers, according to the comment section of a [different video](). "Quite a few performers broke character lol," he recalled. "I'll try to get it on video this year." **More on cyborgs:** *[Inventor of Cyborg Cockroach Says It Will Only Be Used for Good]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()