A Chip In This Man's Brain Let Him Will His Paralyzed Hand To Move

Post TV

Ian Burkhart hasn't been able to control his hands since 2010. He was celebrating the end of freshman year at a beach, smashed into a sandbar, and broken his neck. In an instant he lost all feeling in his hands and legs.

Last Wednesday, he moved his hand for the first time in four years, thanks to a group of researchers at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. The researchers inserted a chip in Burkhart's brain and used electrodes and an algorithm to bypass his broken spinal cord and regain movement in his hand.

The technology is very much in the early stages of the process, but Burkhart's success signals the possibility of a new future for him. A future where he can be independent again and not have to count on others to eat a bowl of cereal.

To learn more about Burkhart and OSU's new technology, check out The Washington Post's story.

And you can watch the Post's video of Burkhart's experience here: