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Monkeys Adapt Robot Arm as Their Own
FiReaNGeL writes "Neurobiologists from the Duke University Medical Center are training monkeys to use their brain signals to control a robotic arm; but they are not just learning to manipulate an external device. Rather, "their brain structures are adapting to treat the arm as if it were their own appendage", via a brain-implanted chip. "The finding has profound implications both for understanding the extraordinary adaptability of the primate brain and for the potential clinical success of brain-operated devices to give the handicapped the ability to control their environment", said the researchers. Read the story here with full details."
Interesting neuroscience with obvious transhuman/singularity applications always seem to be directed towards the "disabled". I even remember one scientist being quite happy at the prospect of a handicapped person being able to be employed "by using email". So to get grants they need to let loose more spammers??? Compared to what we'll become, we are plenty disabled already. It'd be nice to have someone who's actually working on these things to mention transhumanism.
Transcend Humanity. Please.
Or, personally more interesting to me, it could be used as a very high-bandwidth connection between a computer and me. (Which could be general enough to allow me to control a robotic limb, or even robotic body, just as I control a video-game character, only better (as I could give more fine-grained input faster and more naturally.)
Ah, no. As stated in an earlier post I know one of the scientists working on this at Duke (Dook). The monkey learns to control the robot arm completely. That means precise, intentional movements. The *really* cool bit is that once the monkey realized it could control the robot arm it stopped using its own arm when it wasn't necessary. But don't take my word, I'll force you to RTFA:
...new experiments in his laboratory seek to enable the brain to perceive a feedback sensation from neuroprosthetic devices. Such feedback might be in the form of visual information on the effects of moving a robotic arm. Or, it might be tactile feedback fed as signals into electrodes implanted in the brain.
The scientists next removed the joystick, after which the monkeys continued to move their arms in mid-air to manipulate and "grab" the cursor, thus controlling the robot arm. However, after a few days, the monkeys realized that they did not need to move their own arms. Their arm muscles went completely quiet, they kept the arm at their side, and they controlled the robot using only their brain and visual feedback.
Does that sound like an on/off switch to you? You must have some freakin' awesome lights.
"Mikhail's analysis of the brain signals associated with use of the robotic and animals' actual arms revealed that the animal was simultaneously doing one thing with its own arm and something else with the robotic arm," he said. "So, our hypothesis is that the adaptation of brain structures allows the expansion of capability to use an artificial appendage with no loss of function, because the animal can flip back and forth between using the two. Depending on the goal, the animal could use its own arm or the robotic arm, and in some cases both.
Do you have any glimmering of how mind-bogglingly revolutionary this is? Can you think of any real world applications? No? Then there's even MORE.
Such feedback would greatly enhance people's ability to learn and use the devices, said Nicolelis. Also, such feedback would expand use of neuroprosthetics to amputees, because the devices would include all the features -- including feedback -- of real appendages.
Goodbye loss of hand, hello Luke Skywalker robot arm! Or robotic surgery where surgeons could actually feel what their scapels are cutting. Or soldiers mentally controlling battle droids. Get the toughness of metal with the adaptability of the human mind! Or don't just drive, plug in and really feel the car operate. You could get neurological feedback on any problems the car might be developing. Or just use the interface to get awesome control.
They have ****** shown that the mind can incorporate a robotic appendage and use it in addition to the ones we already have! How is this not groundbreaking research in psychology, physics, biology, etc? Even Philosophy! What does it mean that our sense of self is so easily extended?
I wonder if in an extreme case would the use of normal limbs become difficult? Kind of like when you're in zero g your muscles atrophy. If we did have this 'mind control' ability for machines/tools, would we lose dexterity and motor skills?
Lane Myer: I have great fear of tools. I once made a birdhouse in woodshop and the fair housing committee condemned it.