Giving back the ability to move for people living with paralysis seemed something out of science fiction. A group of scientists from Ohio State and Battelle Memorial Institute are making this a reality. The team has created a system that decodes brain waves to manipulate and stimulate a paralyzed limb to move. Their first and only person to participate in this study is Ian Burkhart. The 24-year-old was vacationing with his friends five years ago when he went swimming in the ocean. Burkhart swam into a wave and hit his head into a hidden sandbar; instantly breaking his neck. For the study, Burkhart had a micro chip implanted in his brain, this sends signals to armbands with electrodes stimulating the muscles. The business management student concentrates and visualizes what he wants his hand to do.
