DARPA Technology Allows Paralyzed Woman To Fly A Simulated Plane With Her Mind

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Jan Scheuermann can fly an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter using only her mind, and no, she’s not a jedi. The 55-year-old “pilot” is paralyzed from the waist down, but thanks to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, she is able to use a flight simulator with her mind. She can also give control a pair of robot arms and give thumbs up and high fives with her thoughts.

In 2012, Scheuermann was fitted with two nodes on the motor cortexes of her brain, which allowed her to regain some measure of autonomy since she became paralyzed in 2003 due to a neurodegenerative condition.

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James Clark

Editor in Chief

James Clark is the Editor in Chief of Task & Purpose. He is an Afghanistan War veteran and served in the Marine Corps as a combat correspondent.