[ad_1]
One day, brain-computer interfaces, devices that turn thoughts into commands for machines, may be as common as smartphones (or at least as common as prosthetics).
We could use the systems to end paralysis and boost our intelligence, or maybe ask for something on DoorDash with a thought (not all apps have to be dramatic).
Now, researchers have shown high fidelity wireless brain-computer interface that could bring us one step closer to that science fiction future.
Cutting the Cord
Brain-computer interfaces already exist, they are helping people with paralysis to control robots and even move their own limbs again, but even the most advanced systems have a major limitation.
Almost all existing brain-computer interfaces are wired systems: a cable literally runs from a person’s head to a machine.
This is because it is difficult to read and transmit signals wirelessly from a brain implant to an external device with the same level of fidelity that wired systems offer.
It’s easy to see why wired brain-computer interfaces aren’t ideal – who wants to be connected to a machine all day? – but they’re also holding back research, as developers can only collect brain signal data while trial participants are in their labs.
Now, BrainGate, a collaboration of several institutes of neuroscientists, engineers, and other researchers, has demonstrated a wireless brain-computer interface that records and transmits signals just as efficiently as wired systems.
The wireless brain-computer interface
The system is called a Brown Wireless Device (BWD).
It’s about half the size and weight of a deck of cards, and it connects to a port on a person’s head (the same one that would normally feed signals from an implant to a wire).
To demonstrate the wireless brain-computer interface, two trial participants with paralysis used it to move a cursor and write their thoughts on a computer screen, and it worked just as well as connected devices.
“(T) his wireless system is functionally equivalent to the wired systems that have been the gold standard in performance (brain-computer interface) for years,” said researcher John Simeral in a press release.
A test participant using the wireless brain-computer interface. Credit: Braingate
One of the trial participants had two of the BWDs connected to two ports.
Together, the devices had a 36-hour battery life and could record data at a speed of 48 megabits per second (mbps); In the US, the minimum download speed for broadband internet is 25 mbps.
The man used both BWDs at home, giving the researchers the ability to collect 24 hours of continuous data from his brain.
“We want to understand how neural signals evolve over time,” said researcher Leigh Hochberg in the press release. “With this system, we can observe brain activity, at home, for long periods in a way that was almost impossible before.”
“This will help us design decoding algorithms that provide the perfect, intuitive, and reliable restoration of communication and mobility for people with paralysis,” he continued.
The researchers note that the technology could also aid in the design of fully implantable wireless systems, the kind that would not require people to use a small box on the top of their heads to browse the Internet with their thoughts.
We would love to hear from you! If you have a comment on this article or if you have a tip for a future Freethink story, please email us at [email protected].
