The combination of man and machine started as early as pre-history with the introduction of metal implants to repair and replace damaged bones. By 1960 the term 'Cyborg' was coined to refer to the melding of man and machine. Throughout the 2100s this term was generally sufficient, but by the 2200s the term was starting to lose meaning. Nearly every human had some kind of mechanical augmentation from basic nanomachine-based-medicine up to organ and limb replacements. The vast majority of humans wouldn't even consider themselves Cyborgs despite having these upgrades installed to improve quality of life. This contrasted with other Cyborgs who no longer look human, with full bodies of metal, industrial strength limbs, and void-rated life support systems. This led to general adoption of the terms Low-Cyborg and High-Cyborg which came into common use by the 2300s.

The primary usage of the word Low-Cyborg is to differentiate someone from a High-Cyborg. When this differentiation isn't needed people typically just use the word Human instead of Low-Cyborg.


Low-Cyborg is a term used to refer to someone who looks human but has cybernetic components. It can generally also mean someone who is cybernetic but wants to maintain as much of a human form as possible. The term is specifically meant to differentiate oneself from a High-Cyborg

There is not a well defined line between Low-Cyborg and High-Cyborg, and there can be disagreement on what constitutes a Low Cyborg or High Cyborg when it comes to those who are somewhat in-between the two extremes.

Low-Cyborg also traditionally refers to a sub-type of Human. Though by the early 2300s, the term has also been applied to other species as well such as Aos Si who have had cybernetics applied.