Korean MIT student develops fibre for neural signal
‘Once the fibre is connected to the spinal cord, peripheral nerve signals can be controlled and delivered,’ claims Park Seong-jun, the Korean graduate student who made a breakthrough with his research team
By Yoon Sung-won
Park Seong-jun, a Korean graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has developed a fibre that can deliver neural signals to the brain through the spinal cord, according to the institute, Thursday.
The fibre is expected to be used to improve functionality of artificial limbs. Park and his research team said they will make the fibre more stable and better fit for a living body so it can be used in humans and other animals.
“Once the fibre is connected to the spinal cord, peripheral nerve signals can be controlled and delivered. This can also be applied to the brain-machine interface,” Park said. “The research team’s ultimate goal is to make a better world where disabled people and patients with general paralysis can move their artificial limbs by simply thinking.”
Park majored in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Seoul National University. He moved to the United States to acquire his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at MIT. He is currently in the doctoral degree course at the institute’s electrical engineering and computer science department.
