7.30"I turned 55 on Monday and on Saturday I was in an induced coma. Somewhere between or after my birthday, I contracted meningococcal disease."
"If you take all of the nerves that you can save from where the fingers and the wrist were, and the thumb, and implant them … into the muscle in my forearm … the brain will still send messages to those nerves when you operate a [bionic] hand," he said. In 2018, Mr Nixon took part in a trial for a bionic eye developed in Australia which can partially restore basic vision to those who have lost their sight due to the condition.While the device doesn't restore full vision, it allows Mr Nixon — who is one of four Australians trialling the glasses — to see flashes of light and the very rough outline of objects.
"Say, for example, I'm walking down the street looking for a seat at a cafe … I hit the setting for finding empty seats, scan around nice and slowly, hopefully pick up an empty chair, and be able to negotiate myself around to it without any serious problem or asking for assistance," Mr Nixon said. The company hopes to seek regulatory approval in Australia and the US in the next five or so years when more trials are complete.With advances in technology, engineering and medicine, what was once the stuff of science fiction is now a step closer to reality.Known as brain-machine interface technology, it's being developed by several companies, including Elon Musk's Neuralink, which is aiming to develop a brain microchip that will allow humans to control a computer with their thoughts.
"[A paralysed person] can start to perform actions like compose text, control a wheelchair, perhaps feed themselves using a robotic arm, and start to gain autonomy, which is really nothing short of wonderful," he said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »
Source: NRL - 🏆 19. / 59 Read more »
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »