What It’s Like to Live With an Experimental Brain Implant

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are transforming life for people with paralysis and neurological conditions, while also revealing the challenges of using the technology outside controlled lab environments. A number of companies are now attempting to move the devices out of neuroscience labs and into mainstream medical care, where they could help millions of people with these conditions.

None of this will be possible without the BCI Pioneers Coalition, an advocacy group founded in 2018 by Ian Burkhart, the first quadriplegic to regain hand movement using a brain implant. Burkhart took part in a trial conducted by Battelle Memorial Institute and Ohio State University from 2014 to 2021. That life-changing experience convinced Burkhart to start the BCI Pioneers Coalition to ensure that companies, clinicians, and regulators hear directly from trial participants on what works, what doesn’t, and how the devices fit into daily life. 

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