Man and machine A soldier who lost his legs in Afghanistan examines the technology - and psychology - of the hybrid human

It is 13 years since Harry Parker stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, creating a blast that would result in the loss of both legs. Alongside the physical pain of the subsequent years, he also had to cope with a profound change in his sense of self. He compares the experience to that of Gregor Samsa, the subject of Franz Kafk a’s The Metamorphosis – “the strangeness of not being who you used to be, turned into something that sets you apart”.

Equipped with two hi-tech prosthetic limbs, Parker can walk holding hands with his