His identity was unknown until, on the “X” profile of Neuralink (the startup founded by billionaire Elon Musk to revolutionize the field of neuroscience), he appeared in a video – which immediately went viral – in which, with the power of thought, controls a mouse pointer on a screen. We're talking about Noland Arbaugh, the young quadriplegic to whom US medtech implanted (the first in the world) a wireless chip in his brain.
Who is Noland Arbaugh
Born in 1995, originally from Arizona, Arbaugh was not born with a disability. A car accident at the age of 21 – while studying at “Texas A & M University” in College Station – left him paralyzed from the shoulders down (“below I have no sensation of movement”, the his words).
About a year later, thanks to a fundraiser organized by the family on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, Arbaugh obtained 10 thousand dollars to buy a van with a platform. An event that had particular resonance in the United States, so much so that – considering the young man's willpower – the hashtag #nolandstrong was born on social media.
Today, Arbaugh is known for being patient zero who was implanted with the first Neuralink microchip. In May 2023 the start-up (which recently announced the Blindsight project, a new device that could restore sight), obtained the green light from the Food and Drug Administration – the US body responsible for regulating food products and pharmaceuticals – to test its wireless chips in people.
Still a long way to go
Thanks to the innovative chip – implanted with a surgical robot in an area of the brain that manages movements – the 29-year-old can now pursue his hobbies (such as taking French and Japanese lessons, playing video games and chess). Of course, the road is still long, considering that the first implantation of a chip in the human brain must demonstrate that it works without critical issues for the patient even in the long term.
Emphasizing that he feels lucky to be part of the Neuralink study (“I can't describe how beautiful it is”) and admitting some initial problems (“there's still a lot to do, but it's a promising start”), Arbaugh emphasizes the effect positive that the brain implant is having on his life. “It's not perfect, but it's already changed my world.”