Paralyzed Patients Control Robot With Brain Waves

sciencehabit writes with a writeup of a French research paper in Science. From the article: "They're not quite psychic yet, but machines are getting better at reading your mind. Researchers have invented a new, noninvasive method for recording patterns of brain activity and using them to steer a robot. Scientists hope the technology will give 'locked in' patients ... the ability to interact with others and even give the illusion of being physically present ... with friends and family." The really interesting thing here is that people who had not used their limbs in years were able to learn how to control the robot (as well as the control group did) after being trained only an hour a week for six weeks.

Comments

Also good for interrogation?

[exploder]

It might make a pretty good lie detector.

Re:Also good for interrogation?

[Calydor]

If you can prove it's infallible and hasn't been tampered with, of course. Wouldn't it just be marvelous if it translated any variation of fear into, "I admit, I planted that bomb."?

Re:Also good for interrogation?

[GameboyRMH]

...and we've come full circle back to the polygraph machine.

Re:Also good for interrogation?

[SuricouRaven]

The polygraph doesn't work very well. It's better than just an unaided human, but it's still not even close to infallable.

Re:Also good for interrogation?

[GameboyRMH]

That was my point.

Cowboy Bebop reference

[Saishuuheiki]

Sounds like episode 23 of Cowboy Bebop "Brain Scratch"

Re:Cowboy Bebop reference

[JustSomeProgrammer]

I was thinking one step in the direction of Surrogates. (Not really a good movie, but interesting concept)

Re:Cowboy Bebop reference

[Qzukk]

I think Angelic Layer is a much better anime reference for this subject, given that the entire story is about playing fighting games using mind-controlled toy robots so that the inventor can use the technology to help his girlfriend(?) walk again.

Wearable Robots

[bill_mcgonigle]

Being able to control an avatar is a great step, but it's not too hard to imagine coupling this with one of Kamen's iBOT vehicles to allow these people to regain some mobility. Throw some grappling arms on there and the person might even gain a bit of independence.

The Rest of the Story

[carrier lost]

"Paralyzed Patients Control Robot With Brain Waves..."

...Order Robot to Destroy Nurse Who Ignored Them.

Re:The Rest of the Story

[AliasMarlowe]

"Paralyzed Patients Control Robot With Brain Waves..."

...Order Robot to Destroy Nurse Who Ignored Them.

...followed immediately by robot sex!

A little late for Joe Bonham

[Quila]

Unless they've managed to keep him alive this long.

Transducer lobes!

[ThorGod]

Solaria here we come!

Other Project Like This

[jjp9999]

There's a project on Kickstarter about this right now, using Rovio robots and an EMOTIV headset. It's always interesting to see some form of new technology being worked on in a few places simultaneously - usually means something is about to hit big. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robots/robodance-5-telepresence-robotics-for-all-esp-the

Continuous connection for self-teaching

[sea4ever]

There is no reason for them to be connected to this only 1 hour a day. Perhaps if the patients were connected to their avatars continuously for two or three days, they would quickly grow accustomed to it through personal experimentation in much the same way that self-taught programmers train themselves in a new language. I think that if they are self-taught for controlling the avatar that they might be much more efficient at it.

He could sense different vibrations

[Quila]

And he learned to identify them.

These days a cochlear implant would probably fix that.

Re:Some relevant information for speculators

[bws111]

Click on 'Account' then 'Posting' and select 'Plain text' instead of HTML.

Correction

[golden age villain]

José (yes I know him) is Spanish and works at the EPFL in Switzerland.

In Soviet Russia...

[Roachie]

Robot paralyze you!

Re:Telecommute

[Roachie]

This is the futuristic equivalent to the "Reply All" faux pas. Can you imagine what would happen when workers forget to log out at the end of the day?

Robots sitting in empty, darkened offices,spanking it to unseen internet porn- sobbing in self loathing and shame.

just do borg like assimilation to get the info

[Joe_Dragon]

just do borg like assimilation to get the info

I want my robot ...

[PPH]

... to look just like Bender.

Why only 1 hour a week?

[Griffyn]

I want to hear about the patients who have been training 8 hours a day for 6 weeks. Do they have something better to do?

how many people used the robot to punch someone?

[Cyko_01]

I know if I was "locked in" I would be pretty pissed off at all kinds of people for not helping me and/or mocking me. not to mention the frustration of not being able to control your body.

Covert Implantation of Radiotelepathy Neurotech

[Roark Meets Dent]

The current state of implantable neurotechnology is far more advanced than this story. The good stuff is not in the public sphere at all. Total remote control of the human mind and body via wireless link is where the real neurotechnology is at now. It's being deployed against unwitting subjects without their knowledge or consent. For more information check out this research material: http://www.google.com/search?q=%22covert+implantation+of+radiotelepathy%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Re:Covert Implantation of Radiotelepathy Neurotech

[RespekMyAthorati]

Otherwise known as paranoid schizophrenia.

Bruce Willis will have to save us again...

[Shotgun]

It'll require a reincarnation after he blows up the Earth destroying asteroid, but don't worry. After this spreads from the shut-ins to everyone using it, Bruce will be there to bring the network down and force everyone to come out of their house and talk to their neighbors.