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Robotic Arm Controlled By Monkey Thoughts

Posted by Zonk on from the next-step-is-cyber-monkeys dept.

mallumax writes "The BBC reports that Pittsburgh University scientists have succeeded in creating a robotic arm, controlled by probes inserted into the brain of monkeys. The probes interpret signals from individual nerve cells in the motor cortex. Monkeys were able to grasp and hold food with the robotic arm. Since the number of nerve signals for even small movements is huge the scientists used an averaging algorithm to obtain the movement signals."

3 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. University of Pittsburgh NOT Pittsburgh University by rueba · · Score: 4, Informative

    See here:
    http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/faculty/schwartz.sh tml

    It seems he does joint work with CMU but his official position is at UPitt(as we sometimes call it).

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  2. Wired has a better story by garbletext · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65468, 00.html?tw=wn_story_related

  3. Re:Tool use? by daddymac · · Score: 4, Informative
    lack of opposable thumbs.
    Uhhh, except that some monkey do have opposable thumbs, so it can't be the "only" thing. Read the faq (number 23):
    http://www.primates.com/faq/index.html
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