MIT Connects to Biological Power Supply in Your Inner Ear

[Guest]

There is an untapped power source in your inner ear.

MIT Connects to Biological Power Supply in Your Inner Ear : Read more

 

[A Bad Day]

One question:

If the implants are ever Wi-Fi capable, what would be done to prevent malicious attacks like in the "H+: The Digital Series"?

 

[merikafyeah]

This is so frikkin cool.

 

[merikafyeah]

I don't think it'll ever be wifi capable. The amount of energy needed to create a signal of useful strength may not be large electronically, but biologically it'd be like setting off a nuke inside your ear.

 

[Guest]

Would be perfect for powering hearing aid.

 

[fuzg13z]

[citation][nom]merikafyeah[/nom]I don't think it'll ever be wifi capable. The amount of energy needed to create a signal of useful strength may not be large electronically, but biologically it'd be like setting off a nuke inside your ear.[/citation]
[citation][nom]Konstantina Stankovic[/nom]"the guinea pigs responded normally to hearing tests, and the devices were able to wirelessly transmit data about the chemical conditions of the ear to an external receiver."[/citation] Maybe it's not too far off after all, you could use an external repeater to boost the signal..

 

[esrever]

wonder how hard is it to make an artificial version of this and how efficient it would be to power things. Seems like a very eco friendly way to replace batteries if its possible.

 

[A Bad Day]

[citation][nom]esrever[/nom]wonder how hard is it to make an artificial version of this and how efficient it would be to power things. Seems like a very eco friendly way to replace batteries if its possible.[/citation]

Yeah, I would rather use a small portable flexible solar panel and/or a piezoelectric shoe to recharge my phone than to have surgery in my ears. Thank you very much.

 

[unempit]

Hmmm. I wonder if this knowledge can allow the repair or replacement of the cochlea's power generating ability to restore hearing. Maybe the "battery" is wearing out as we get older...good thing I'm not a doctor.

 

[A Bad Day]

Usually hearing loss not caused by disease, injury or genetic disorder have damages to microscopic hair that pick up the vibration in the cochlea's fluid. Broken sensory hair results in weaker reception of sound, and those kind of hair never grows back.

 

[GoldenI]

Very fascinating.

 

[acadia11]

So when will I have to choose between the red or blue pill?

 

[devBunny]

What's next, inserting a dynamo into the jugular vein?

 

[devBunny]

Key to success was the development of extreme low-power circuits, MIT said. the voltage provided by the cochlea is "very low" and, in order not to impact general hearing, only a fraction of that power can be used for circuits.

[citation][nom]brickman[/nom]Would be perfect for powering hearing aid.[/citation]

Ya think?

The researcher said that "the guinea pigs responded normally to hearing tests

They did, did they? And what did the the guinea pigs say about their subjective experience. More importantly, what would they say when the power suck has been going on for a few years? Personally, I'll wait for the twenty year human trial to conclude.

 

[doive1231]

Nothing wrong with current small hearing aids. Why don't they leave the animals alone.

 

[Guest]

Personally I think a hearing aid battery is more user friendly than dangling a guinea pig from my ear...... :

 

[cats_Paw]

Welcome to the Matrix

 

[justified]

Did anyone ask the guinea pig if it was experiencing vertigo? If they are messing truly with the inner ear...no thanks. Anyone who has ever had inner ear issues/vertigo, will stay far away from this. Besides, I don't understand how this could even access the inner ear without having major issues.

 

[bigdog44]

Why not tap the electrochemical potential in human muscle? You could use the energy of an atrophied muscle to power a spider silk muscle system, thereby increasing that muscles strength.

 

[tmshdw]

The road to borg-dom is paved with little innovations like this. And I'm in line with the rest to be hooked up. We know not what we do....

 

[Darkk]

Matrix anybody?

 

[dark_knight33]

Any kind of high strength signal like those used for afterburners on cb/ham radios, the kind that cause you to hear their signal on your speakers, or nearby lightening strikes would melt your ear. No thanks.