A Brain Implant Brings a Quadriplegic's Arm Back to Life

Ian Burkhart has been a cyborg for two years now. In 2014, scientists at Ohio State's Neurological Institute implanted a pea-sized microchip into the 24-year-old quadriplegic's motor cortex. Its goal: to bypass his damaged spinal cord and, with the help of a signal decoder and electrode-packed sleeve, control his right arm with his thoughts. Neuroengineers have been developing these so-called brain-computer interfaces for more than a decade. They've used readings from brain implants to help paralyzed patients play Pong on computer screens and control robotic arms.