"I was asked if I could come to the U.S., and I said I could."
One Shot Hansol (real name Kim Hansol), a visually impaired creator with 500,000 subscribers, has officially challenged the clinical trial of Neuralink, the neuroscience startup led by Elon Musk. The bold decision to implant a chip in the brain to restore vision has drawn global attention.
One Shot Hansol recently revealed the application for Neuralink's clinical trial through his YouTube channel. He stated that after receiving a message from Elon Musk about helping visually impaired individuals regain their sight through clinical trials, he decided to apply, encouraged by the continuous reports and support from his fans.
The technology he applied for is 'Blindsight', which Neuralink is developing. This involves a camera mounted on glasses capturing visual information, converting it into electrical signals, and transmitting it to a chip implanted in the brain. This principle allows even those with damaged optic nerves to see by directly stimulating the visual cortex of the brain. One Shot Hansol expressed his hope for the technological possibility, saying, "There have been cases where monkeys opened their eyes through animal experiments."
However, he also confessed his honest fear about the surgical process. He revealed, "The fact that I have to cut open my head and implant a chip the size of a coin into my brain, and that a robot, not a human, will perform the surgery is scary." Nevertheless, he completed the application, believing in the curiosity for a new world and the possibility of vision recovery.
Reactions from netizens were mixed. While there were waves of support saying, "It's an innovative challenge," and "I hope you regain your sight," there were also cautious opinions raised, such as, "Given that it's brain surgery, there are concerns about side effects," and "More verification of the technology is needed."
Born in 1993, One Shot Hansol lost his sight at the age of 18 due to a rare disease, but has since been communicating with the public by creating content to improve awareness of disabilities. It remains to be seen whether he can see the light again through Elon Musk's technology, and attention is focused on the results of this clinical trial.
