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Monkeys Use Minds To Control Avatar Arms
sciencehabit writes "Researchers have for the first time devised a setup that allows monkeys to control two virtual arms with their thoughts. Two monkeys had electrodes implanted into its right and left brain hemisphere, which recorded the activity of up to 500 neurons acting together—the highest number of neurons yet used in such an experiment. The animal's task was to control the movement of two avatar arms on a computer monitor: To get a fruit juice reward, it had to place both hands over two circles and hold them there for 100 milliseconds. A computer algorithm processed the monkey's brain activity, homing in on patterns of neurons firing as it learned to do the task. Both animals' performances improved over time, and the researchers noticed that their neuronal firing patterns changed as this happened, suggesting that their brains were adapting to the brain-machine interfaces. This could be because the monkeys came to consider the virtual arms as part of their own bodies, the lead researcher suggests. 'The animals literally incorporate the avatar as if the avatar was them.'"
BrainLink: Poo Fling 3000!
Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
Fling poo!
[nt]
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Monkeys and every other living creature with a brain uses their mind to control all kinds of things. Why is this remotely interesting to anyone?
Show me one example of anyone anywhere controlling anything without using their mind.
I'm typing this grouchy rant right now... using my mind! Is that worth getting written up on /. for?
Or could the headline actually mean, "Monkey controls something using millions of dollars of custom hardware that replaces the functions of some of its nervous system and musculature"? If that's too long, then why not: "Monkeys Move Avatar Arms With Expensive EEG Hardware"?
Blasphemy is a human right. Blasphemophobia kills.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
I for one welcome our 4 armed monkey overlords.
This isn't new, "The idea that the human brain sees tools as an extension of the body is an old one. Now scientists have some proof that it's true." Link: http://www.livescience.com/9664-brain-sees-tools-extensions-body.html
Then again Sigourney Weaver did star in Gorillas in the Mist...
Silence is a state of mime.
I remember a story just like this a year ago, except the monkey's brain was only wired to one robot arm.
Now translate 'avatar arms' into inputs of a da Vinci Surgical System and we're golden.
Go ahead Chimo, grab the cancer tumor. That's right! There's a yummy sip of juice in it for you!
That, when they replace the current crop of summary writers, the monkeys will be able to distinguish singular and plural.
Two monkeys had electrodes implanted into its right and left brain hemisphere...
*shudder*
(I am an editor: the shudder is real.)
Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
Monkeys Use Minds To Control Avatar Arms
Those monkeys get into everything!
I think the real news here is that scientists have been working on creating arms from the movie avatar.
Comments, Karl?
Cue military experiments involving "gun arms" in 3,2,1...
Just like the rest of us monkeys are going to have to learn that, "With great power comes great responsibility."
One step closer to being able to punch someone in the face over the internet
If you could get direct cranial links to body part avatars, which parts would you like some extras of? //thinking of 2 more ears so could hear Quadrophenia the way it's supposed to be heard :-)
https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
you damn dirty ape!
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
I CAN SINNNNNNNNNG
Totally funny. Don't know why you got rated as off-topic.
....none of 'em answer to the name "Caesar"....