A visual journey through the milestones of neuroengineering and brain-machine interfaces.
Hans Berger records the first human electroencephalogram (EEG), proving that electrical activity in the brain can be recorded from the scalp.
Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley publish their quantitative mathematical model describing how action potentials in neurons are initiated and propagated, foundational to computational neuroscience.
Eberhard Fetz demonstrates that monkeys can be trained to voluntarily control the firing rate of single cortical neurons to move a meter needle—the first conceptual demonstration of a brain-machine interface.
William Dobelle implants a 68-electrode array into the visual cortex of a blind patient, successfully evoking localized flashes of light (phosphenes).
Farwell and Donchin develop the first P300 speller using non-invasive EEG, allowing individuals to select letters on a screen purely by focusing visual attention.
The FDA approves Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, marking a massive milestone for neuromodulation as a clinical therapy.
Matt Nagle becomes the first human implanted with a Utah Array (by Cyberkinetics/BrainGate) in his motor cortex, allowing him to control a computer cursor and a robotic arm.
Jan Scheuermann, paralyzed from the neck down, uses a BrainGate system to gracefully control a robotic arm in 3D space and feed herself a chocolate bar.
Synchron implants its first Stentrode in an ALS patient in Australia. Endovascular insertion avoids open brain surgery while providing sufficient resolution for digital communication.
Researchers decode attempted handwriting and speech from motor cortex activity in paralyzed patients at speeds approaching natural conversation, using recurrent neural networks.
Neuralink successfully uses a surgical robot to implant its high-density flexible polymer thread interface (the N1) into human patient Noland Arbaugh, demonstrating wireless high-resolution cursor control.