Neural Networks Restore Movement to Paralyzed Limbs NVIDIA Blog

While diving into the Atlantic Ocean off the shores of North Carolina with his friends in 2010, Ian Burkhart, then a college student, sustained a devastating spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down. But with a brain-computer interface powered by neural networks, he can now use his right hand to pick up objects, pour liquids and play Guitar Hero. Burkhart is the first participant in a clinical trial led by Ohio State University and Battelle, a nearby independent research and development organization. A Blackrock Microsystems microchip implanted in Burkhart's brain connects to a computer running algorithms developed at Battelle. The algorithms interpret his neural activity and send signals to an electrode sleeve on his right hand.