The study, “Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception,” was published in Nature Neuroscience.

The soft, flexible device sits under the scalp but on top of the skull, where it delivers precise patterns of light through the bone to activate neurons across the cortex.

In experiments, scientists used the device’s tiny, patterned bursts of light to activate specific populations of neurons deep inside the brains of mouse models. (These neurons are genetically modified to respond to light.) The mice quickly learned to interpret these patterns as meaningful signals, which they could recognize and use. Even without touch, sight or sound involved, the animals received information to make decisions and successfully completed behavioral tasks.