{"id":4461,"date":"2021-12-01T14:19:01","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T22:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/"},"modified":"2023-12-06T21:51:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T05:51:12","slug":"the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n Press Release<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

Electronic eyes, robotic arms and exoskeletons? USC experts meld man (and woman) with machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n Sarah Nightingale<\/span>\n \n December 01, 2021<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n
\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n
A retinal prosthesis for people with vision loss is only one example of the groundbreaking bionics research happening at USC. (Illustration\/Mike McQuade)<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n

(Originally posted at USC Trojan Family<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Iron Man is just<\/span>\u00a0a fantasy from the universe of superheroes. Or is he?<\/p>\n

Injured and in captivity, the fictional billionaire Tony Stark builds a high-tech exoskeleton to survive, escape and help save the world alongside the Avengers. The armored suit gives him superhuman strength, the ability to fly and an array of elaborate weapons. Stark increasingly becomes one with his technology: His brain interacts with the suit, and the suit interacts with his brain.<\/p>\n

To Charles Liu, the scenario goes beyond science fiction. The director of the\u00a0USC Neurorestoration Center<\/a>\u00a0believes it\u2019s fast becoming science reality for people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries. A few select volunteers are among the first to test a bionic bodysuit designed to help them walk again.<\/p>\n

Not only would this exoskeleton enable people to move, but the user could also feel each step \u2014 a prospect both heady and complicated. Breathing life into the suit involves disciplines from advanced surgery to computational mathematics, says Liu, a\u00a0professor of clinical neurological surgery<\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/a>. \u201cYou cannot pack more technology into a tighter space. And we\u2019re applying these technologies to the most complex and human part of our body: the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n

This tech isn\u2019t about making people better, stronger or faster than ever before: It\u2019s about helping people get more out of life again. If we could bring the brain and body back in sync, patients might do what so many others take for granted: walk. But the advances in technology go beyond treating paralysis. At USC and across the world, bionic eyes, robotic hands and even memory implants are part of the growing field of restorative health research. Liu\u2019s work gives us a peek into this brave new world of bionics.<\/p>\n

USC bionics technology could help restore ability to walk and see<\/strong><\/p>\n

The act of drinking water from a cup seems so simple.<\/p>\n

Sure, you might do it without much thought. But consider a robotic arm trying to lift a glass to a user\u2019s mouth. It has so many pieces of information to consider. How much force is needed to lift the cup? Is it a delicate wine glass or a heavy mug? Are there any obstacles in the way? How much does the glass need to tilt before spilling?<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, once you initiate the action, lots of things need to be right in order for you to successfully complete it,\u201d Liu says. \u201cFor example, if you touch the glass and it happens to be much lighter than you expect, you have to react to that. This requires constant updating of information and constant feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

Humans unknowingly count on electrochemical reactions between interconnected nerve cells (or neurons) in our brain and nervous system to orchestrate our movements. The sheer number of neurons \u2014 the human brain features about 100 billion of them \u2014 and their complexity make it hard to tease out exactly how individual thoughts and actions result in movements.<\/p>\n

Yet that\u2019s a necessary step if patients are to realize the benefits of neurorestorative therapies.<\/p>\n

To \u201cdecode\u201d the activity taking place in the various regions of our brains, researchers implant electrodes that record the electrical impulses comprising our thoughts. The electrodes then replicate those impulses to allow a person with a prosthetic arm to react, in real time, to the surprises of our reality \u2014 like a plastic glass that\u2019s lighter than expected. This kind of system is called a closed loop because it involves a two-way conversation: brain to arm, arm to brain, and so on.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one system. Now think about the complex calculations needed to make a full bionic suit. The ambitious project tackles one of the most important goals for patients with spinal cord injuries:\u00a0restoring the ability to walk<\/a>. With an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Liu hopes to help patients reach that goal, alongside other researchers at USC, Caltech and the University of California, Irvine.<\/p>\n

Liu\u2019s team acquires the billions of signals from the brain that tell us how to walk, and UC Irvine researchers translate those signals into commands that control the robotic suit and develop the sophisticated electronic implants. The USC team performs brain surgeries to implant the bionics technology. Caltech scientists then strive to replicate the sensations that are relayed to the brain so users \u201cfeel\u201d themselves walking.<\/p>\n

Without research volunteers, though, there\u2019s no suit. Volunteers recruited through the\u00a0USC Epilepsy Care Consortium<\/a>\u00a0help researchers develop the brain control technology they need. And if the suit comes to fruition, future patients will have people like Cynthia Martinez to thank. Martinez, who became paralyzed after a spinal cord injury, tests prototypes of the bionic suit. A team of scientists often trails behind the volunteers, wheeling the \u201ccommand center\u201d for the suit \u2014 a collection of computers on a cart. Despite Martinez\u2019s health struggles, the team\u2019s mood remains cheerful. Liu has a photo of him and Martinez laughing together, a moment he remembers well.<\/p>\n

He had asked her how she might want to help develop the suit, and she said she wanted to contribute to \u201c\u2018the fashion part, because these things look so ugly,\u2019\u201d Liu says. \u201cI just threw my head back and laughed, because it never occurred to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only reasonable to forgive Liu for prioritizing function over form. As it is, he earned his medical degree after getting his doctorate in engineering. Bridging those two fields keeps him busy. Combining medicine and technology also shapes the underlying premise of the USC Neurorestoration Center, which he directs with\u00a0co-director Christianne Heck<\/a>, a professor of clinical neurology. It aims to use engineering advances to improve life for people with brain and nervous system problems, from Alzheimer\u2019s disease to epilepsy.<\/p>\n

The bionic suit is one of several projects underway at the center. Researchers are helping paralyzed patients\u00a0regain the sense of feeling<\/a>,\u00a0hold objects<\/a>\u00a0in their hands and even\u00a0play a game of rock-paper-scissors with a prosthetic arm<\/a>\u00a0they control with their thoughts. What\u2019s at the heart of their work? They refuse to believe that patients with neurological diseases and trauma can never recover.<\/p>\n

Advances in biotech at USC hold promise for mental health<\/strong><\/p>\n

Their efforts to push bionics technology forward have precedent at USC. Robotics researchers worldwide continue to build on foundational research conducted by\u00a0Gerald Loeb<\/a>, professor of biomedical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. He developed one of the first sophisticated\u00a0tactile sensing systems for prosthetic hands<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And only a few years ago, the world hailed the first bionic eye, a\u00a0groundbreaking retinal prosthesis<\/a>\u00a0for people with impaired vision. Called the Argus II, the device was developed by\u00a0Mark Humayun<\/a>, University Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering and Integrative Anatomical Sciences, and\u00a0Gianluca Lazzi<\/a>, Provost Professor of Ophthalmology and Electrical Engineering. It enables people blinded by retinitis pigmentosa to\u00a0see shapes, movement and \u2014 maybe someday soon \u2014 color<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, USC Viterbi\u2019s\u00a0Maryam Shanechi<\/a>\u00a0continues in their footsteps.<\/p>\n

Shanechi spent her first two years as a doctoral student at MIT applying the principles of electrical engineering and computer science to improve wireless communications. But something nagged at her. How could she use her skills and knowledge to help people more directly?<\/p>\n

She found her answer at the intersection of engineering and neuroscience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized I could decode brain signals instead of wireless signals, which I found fascinating,\u201d says Shanechi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair at USC Viterbi.<\/p>\n

Within two years, Shanechi had built her first brain-machine interface, which translated simple thought sequences (up and left, left and down, right and up) into the movements of a cursor on a screen. She was hooked.<\/p>\n

Shanechi now applies an artificial intelligence technique called machine learning to decode neural activity patterns in the brain. Her work explores not only the brain regions and signals responsible for movement and motor function but also those responsible for mental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Her aim is to use the same electrodes that decode brain activity to deliver\u00a0tailored and targeted electrical stimulation therapies<\/a>\u00a0to patients for whom no other treatments work.<\/p>\n

Their efforts to push bionics technology forward have precedent at USC. Robotics researchers worldwide continue to build on foundational research conducted by\u00a0Gerald Loeb<\/a>, professor of biomedical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. He developed one of the first sophisticated\u00a0tactile sensing systems for prosthetic hands<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And only a few years ago, the world hailed the first bionic eye, a\u00a0groundbreaking retinal prosthesis<\/a>\u00a0for people with impaired vision. Called the Argus II, the device was developed by\u00a0Mark Humayun<\/a>, University Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering and Integrative Anatomical Sciences, and\u00a0Gianluca Lazzi<\/a>, Provost Professor of Ophthalmology and Electrical Engineering. It enables people blinded by retinitis pigmentosa to\u00a0see shapes, movement and \u2014 maybe someday soon \u2014 color<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, USC Viterbi\u2019s\u00a0Maryam Shanechi<\/a>\u00a0continues in their footsteps.<\/p>\n

Shanechi spent her first two years as a doctoral student at MIT applying the principles of electrical engineering and computer science to improve wireless communications. But something nagged at her. How could she use her skills and knowledge to help people more directly?<\/p>\n

She found her answer at the intersection of engineering and neuroscience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized I could decode brain signals instead of wireless signals, which I found fascinating,\u201d says Shanechi, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair at USC Viterbi.<\/p>\n

Within two years, Shanechi had built her first brain-machine interface, which translated simple thought sequences (up and left, left and down, right and up) into the movements of a cursor on a screen. She was hooked.<\/p>\n

Shanechi now applies an artificial intelligence technique called machine learning to decode neural activity patterns in the brain. Her work explores not only the brain regions and signals responsible for movement and motor function but also those responsible for mental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Her aim is to use the same electrodes that decode brain activity to deliver\u00a0tailored and targeted electrical stimulation therapies<\/a>\u00a0to patients for whom no other treatments work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is evidence that these mental disorders are caused by abnormal brain activity patterns,\u201d she says. \u201cSo the question is if we can regulate and normalize this activity with a new type of brain-machine interface, does it give us an alternative way to transform treatments for mental disorders? In the case of major depression, current treatments such as medications and psychotherapy don\u2019t work for 20% to 30% of patients, so having an alternative therapy could significantly improve the quality of life for these treatment-resistant patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shanechi has received major funding support for her work, including $11.3 million and $5 million grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and the United Kingdom\u2019s Ministry of Defence, as well as two new awards from the National Institutes of Health. The first, a $2.4 million grant, funds ongoing research on the complex activities linked to motor and mental states in the brain. The second, a $3 million award, will enable Shanechi\u2019s team and collaborators at the University of California, San Francisco to develop a brain-machine interface that\u00a0decodes a patient\u2019s depression and mood symptoms<\/a>\u00a0and reacts with the appropriate level of stimulation therapy to alleviate distress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe brain is one of the most complex systems we can imagine, and we really don\u2019t understand how it represents our emotional and motor states or what goes wrong in brain disorders,\u201d she says. \u201cDecoding brain activity patterns is very challenging, and regulating the abnormal patterns to treat brain disorders adds yet another huge challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scientists know the work might seem overwhelming, but tools such as artificial intelligence make the obstacles a little less daunting. Across USC, researchers see huge potential in harnessing bionics technology to restore the brain and body.<\/p>\n

Liu thinks about how far the bionic suit has come in just a few years. \u201cWhen I look at what things looked like in 2011 and what they look like in 2021, there has been a huge progression in what we know, the information we can collect and the types of tools we have,\u201d he says. \u201cIf the pace bears out, I really believe that these technologies will become part of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tech Support<\/h2>\n
\n
\"Allen<\/p>\n

A gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg will support a new computer science building at USC. (Photo\/Steve Cohn)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

When Allen Ginsburg first heard about the Argus II, a bionic implant that helps people with vision impairment see again, the retired ophthalmologist could hardly believe it.<\/p>\n

Decades earlier, Ginsburg\u2019s patients who underwent cataract surgery had to stay in bed for weeks, waiting for the incision in their eye to heal. Now people can have the\u00a0Argus II artificial retina<\/a>\u00a0implanted and go home the same day. When Ginsburg and his wife, Charlotte, met with Mark Humayun, one of the inventors of the Argus II and holder of the Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences at USC, they came away inspired about the possibilities of bionics technology, robotics and artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

The Ginsburgs\u2019 newfound passion spawned\u00a0major gifts to USC<\/a>, including a donation last year to build a\u00a0new home for computer science<\/a>\u00a0at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The 115,000-square-foot\u00a0Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Building<\/a>\u00a0will house quantum computing facilities, robots and the\u00a0Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 a leading research center developing AI for social good.<\/p>\n

But as excited as the Ginsburgs are about advanced bionics technology and robotics, they want the new USC building to be grounded in a singular goal: using computing to help humankind.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarly on, our families have taught us to believe that science and education are crucial in improving the human condition,\u201d Allen Ginsburg says. \u201cWe envision students with beautiful minds in this building challenged to make our planet solve the complex circumstances of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This tech isn\u2019t about making people better, stronger or faster than ever before: It\u2019s about helping people get more out of life again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":4462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[11,234,20],"class_list":["post-4461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-release","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-department-of-neurology","tag-research"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This tech isn\u2019t about making people better, stronger or faster than ever before: It\u2019s about helping people get more out of life again.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Nightingale\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@KeckSchool_USC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@KeckSchool_USC\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sarah Nightingale\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b5f98d38339efb94f310c050a2dc595c\"},\"headline\":\"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":13,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Artificial Intelligence\",\"Department of Neurology\",\"Research\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Press Release\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/\",\"name\":\"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"A retinal prosthesis for people with vision loss is only one example of the groundbreaking bionics research happening at USC. (Illustration\\\/Mike McQuade)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Newsroom\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Keck School of Medicine of USC\",\"alternateName\":\"Keck School of Medicine\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/68\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg\",\"width\":696,\"height\":696,\"caption\":\"Keck School of Medicine of USC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/KECKschoolUSC\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/KeckSchool_USC\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/keckschoolusc\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/KeckSchoolUSC\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCpL1E1W5ZTfkc5iihwLSFEA\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@keckschoolusc\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b5f98d38339efb94f310c050a2dc595c\",\"name\":\"Sarah Nightingale\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sarah Nightingale\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/sarah_nightingale\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming","og_description":"This tech isn\u2019t about making people better, stronger or faster than ever before: It\u2019s about helping people get more out of life again.","og_url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/","og_site_name":"Newsroom","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/","article_published_time":"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sarah Nightingale","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@KeckSchool_USC","twitter_site":"@KeckSchool_USC","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/"},"author":{"name":"Sarah Nightingale","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b5f98d38339efb94f310c050a2dc595c"},"headline":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming","datePublished":"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/"},"wordCount":13,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg","keywords":["Artificial Intelligence","Department of Neurology","Research"],"articleSection":["Press Release"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/","name":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg","datePublished":"2021-12-01T22:19:01+00:00","dateModified":"2023-12-07T05:51:12+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"A retinal prosthesis for people with vision loss is only one example of the groundbreaking bionics research happening at USC. (Illustration\/Mike McQuade)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/the-paralyzed-will-walk-the-blind-will-see-the-bionics-revolution-is-coming\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The paralyzed will walk, the blind will see: The bionics revolution is coming"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/","name":"Newsroom","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"Keck School of Medicine of USC","alternateName":"Keck School of Medicine","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/keck-school-of-medicine-logo-696-square.jpg","width":696,"height":696,"caption":"Keck School of Medicine of USC"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KECKschoolUSC\/","https:\/\/x.com\/KeckSchool_USC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/keckschoolusc\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/KeckSchoolUSC\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpL1E1W5ZTfkc5iihwLSFEA","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@keckschoolusc"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b5f98d38339efb94f310c050a2dc595c","name":"Sarah Nightingale","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7a44aa5f8c2435e8de39b584653a840a019e9bba6d31cc63b1c773202bbd8a6d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sarah Nightingale"},"url":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/author\/sarah_nightingale\/"}]}},"author_meta":{"display_name":"Sarah Nightingale","author_link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/author\/sarah_nightingale\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/68\/2023\/11\/TFM-AUT21-Eye-Feat-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Press Release<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Press Release<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Artificial Intelligence<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Department of Neurology<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/category\/press-release\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Research<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Artificial Intelligence<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Department of Neurology<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Research<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 5 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on December 1, 2021","modified":"Updated on December 6, 2023"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on December 1, 2021 2:19 pm","modified":"Updated on December 6, 2023 9:51 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"A retinal prosthesis for people with vision loss is only one example of the groundbreaking bionics research happening at USC. (Illustration\/Mike McQuade)","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4461","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4461"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4461\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}