How Neural Networks Can Read Thoughts and Restore Movement to Paralyzed Limbs

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.