From 'magical' to 'rip it out': different brain implant experiences
Ian Burkhart looked down at his hand and imagined closing it. To his amazement, it closed.
That moment, back in 2014, was the first time in history that a paralysed person had regained the ability to move their arm using just their thoughts -- with a little help from a device implanted in their brain.
"That was the magical moment that proved that this is possible, this isn't just science fiction," Burkhart said.
He had volunteered to be part of an experimental trial of a brain-computer interface (BCI), which connects human neural activity to technology.
The rapidly growing field, which includes leading BCI firms Synchron and Elon Musk's Neuralink, aims to use implants and algorithms to restore lost movement or communication and treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy.
But while some people enjoy the advantages of being plugged in to a computer, it can be traumatic for others.
Two people who had brain implants spoke to AFP about their different experiences.
After a diving accident in 2010, doctors told Burkhart he was paralysed from the shoulders down.
"At 19, that was a big struggle to hear," Burkhart told AFP via a video call from his home in Columbus, Ohio in the United States.
So he leapt at the chance to be part of a trial called NeuroLife conducted by US non-profit firm Battelle that aimed to restore hand movement.
It involved invasive surgery to implant a pea-sized device containing around 100 electrodes near his brain's motor cortex, which controls movement.
The device recorded his brain activity, sending it to a computer which used an algorithm to decipher exactly how he wanted to move his hand.
That message was then relayed to an electrode sleeve on his right forearm which stimulated the relevant muscles.
Over time,
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