News

Science Fiction Reality With Mind Controlled Bionic Hand

Ian Burkhart became paralysed after a swimming accident, but may now benefit from modern medical science as he has become the first person to benefit from a mind controlled bionic hand. The bionic device is controller using a microchip that was inserted into his brain and the first tests left him able to open and close his fist, even going as far as picking up a spoon! This may not sound like much to you and me, but for someone who is paralysed, this must have been freaking awesome.

With millions of people in the world suffering from a multitude of mobility problems, this technology could open up a whole new world for them, even going as far as letting them live a normal life once again, or at the least become more independent at tasks most of us take for granted.

The Neurobridge technology was created by doctors at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. The chip reads a patients thoughts and transmits a replacement signal which the patients body can no longer generate on its own. The big revelation here is that patients are using their own body, a big shift from previous methods that have required the use of robotic prosthetics.

“Today was great. To be able to open and close my hand and do those complex movements that I haven’t been able to do for four years was great. Physically, it was a foreign feeling. Emotionally it was definitely a sense of hope and excitement to know that it’s possible.” said Ian when speaking with CBS

Plugging in the chip to a computer is actually like jacking into the matrix, a cable running from the patients head to a computer which then decodes the required thoughts and translates them into signals that are then sent to electrodes on a sleeve, causing the muscles in the hand to respond and move in the way the patient wishes.

Thank you Telegraph for providing us with this information.

Image courtesy of Telegraph.

Peter Donnell

As a child still in my 30's (but not for long), I spend my day combining my love of music and movies with a life-long passion for gaming, from arcade classics and retro consoles to the latest high-end PC and console games. So it's no wonder I write about tech and test the latest hardware while I enjoy my hobbies!

Disqus Comments Loading...

Recent Posts

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090 Possible Price Revealed

According to a new report, the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU will be very expensive. It…

11 hours ago

AMD Krackan Processor with 6 Zen 5 and Zen 5c Cores for Budget AI Laptops Leaked

A new AMD processor in the form of an engineering model has been leaked in…

11 hours ago

SK Hynix Begins Production of First 321-Layer NAND Chips

SK Hynix has claimed to be the first company to mass-produce 321-layer NAND memory chips.…

11 hours ago

Trust Gaming GXT 609 Zoxa 2.0 PC Speakers

SOUNDS GREAT – Full stereo sound (12W peak power) gives your setup a booming audio…

15 hours ago

PowerA Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch

Special Edition Yoshi design Ergonomic controller shape with Nintendo Switch button layout Detachable 10ft (3m)…

15 hours ago

Logitech G Saitek PRO Flight Rudder Pedals

Fluid Motion: These flight rudder pedals are smooth and accurate that enable precise control over…

15 hours ago