Be Bionic 1.4

Point the device at the 'Be Bionic' mannequins to unveil concealed implanted neurotechnologies, providing a comprehensive overview of current and future advancements in the field.

Using the 'Be Bionic' app, visitors can explore the following neurotechnologies:

1. Future Technology: Thought-Controlled Nerve Stimulation for Muscle Reactivation
While it may seem futuristic, progress is underway with brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) designed to interpret neural signals in individuals with paralysis. These BCIs aim to facilitate control of robotic limbs or restore voluntary movement. The 'Be Bionic' app demonstrates how this innovative technology functions.
2. Future Technology: Thought-Controlled Spinal Cord Stimulation to Reactivate Paralyzed Limbs
Researchers are developing devices that use brain signals to directly stimulate the spinal cord, potentially restoring lower limb mobility for those with paralysis. The app allows users to visualize the mechanisms behind this emerging approach.
3. Current Technology: Restoration of Hearing via Cochlear Implants
The cochlear implant remains one of the most widely used neurotechnologies, effectively restoring hearing by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. The app provides insights into its operation.
4. Future Technology: Vision Restoration with Bionic Implants
Advances in optical engineering are leading to bionic eye implants that can bypass damaged visual cells, offering the potential to restore sight. In collaboration with EPFL, the Wyss Center is developing minimally invasive devices housed entirely behind the eye. The app showcases how this technology may function.
5. Current Technology: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s Disease
Established as an effective treatment, DBS alleviates symptoms such as tremors and muscle rigidity associated with Parkinson’s disease by delivering targeted electrical stimulation within the brain. The app illustrates its underlying principles.
6. Future Technology: Neurofeedback-Based Control of Tinnitus
Researchers at the Wyss Center and EPFL are exploring neurofeedback systems that could enable individuals to modulate or suppress tinnitus through thought alone. The app provides a visualization of how this innovative approach is envisioned.

Note: The functionality of the 'Be Bionic' app depends on the availability of specific markers within the exhibit environment.