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Scientists Develop Cyborg Interface Algorithm
StCredZero writes "A ZDNet article discusses advances in the translation of brain activity to electronic control being made at MIT. Their approach allows a paralyzed individual to manipulate a prosthetic - but that's not the important advance. 'Other scientists have already done that, and built prototypes for neural brain-to-machine devices that can work for animals or humans. But each team has taken a different approach to the problem, such as developing algorithms for measuring activity in a specific brain region, or measuring them through EEGs vs. optical imaging. MIT said that it has developed a unified algorithm that can work within the parameters of these different approaches. Lakshminarayan "Ram" Srinivasan, lead author of a paper on the subject, said MIT's new graphical models are applicable no matter what measurement technique is used. "We don't need to reinvent a new paradigm for each modality or brain region," he said in a statement.'"
Wake me when this is applied to something useful.
Right -- because giving paralyzed people the ability to locomote and manipulate objects isn't remotely useful, is it? After all, who will buy supper for the accessibility ramp-makers once their industry dries up?
I'm sending my quadruplegic friend over to your house right now to beat you up.
These stories are free but worth money.
FleaPlus,
The fact that the researcher is talking to a journalist prior to the research publication is strong evidence he is over-hyping his research. The way a journalist should learn about research is by reading a peer-reviewed article. Not a press release. Note that the article states the research WILL be published in the Journal of Neurophysiology. The only reason the researcher is talking to a journalist now is HYPE. Pure and simple.
Carl
That conclusion goes against millions of years of evolution and modern computers. There is nothing uncommon about inferior mechanisms creating superior mechanisms. How do you think we got here today?
Stop trying to get in the way of my X-RAY VISION and the STRENGTH OF 5 GORILLAS!!!
Hey, look at the software that runs your PC. You think that is more reliable than your own brain, for controlling limbs on your body accurately? heh! ;)