A Better Way To Make Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Limbs

the_newsbeagle writes: To make a brain-machine interface, you need a way to capture neurons' electric signals. The most precise and most invasive way uses implants that are stuck in the gray matter. The least precise and least invasive way uses EEG sensors stuck to the scalp. But researchers at Johns Hopkins University say there's a third way that gets the best of both worlds, which is not too invasive and fairly precise. They use ECoG systems, in which a mesh of electrodes is placed under the skull, draped over the surface of the cortex.

They're testing their systems on epilepsy patients, who have these ECoG systems inserted anyway while they're waiting for surgery (the electrodes record the source of their seizures). The researchers are capturing these patients' movement commands from their brains, and using them to control robotic limbs. Someday such a system could be used by amputees to control their prosthetic limbs.

Comments

Use Radio FFS

[Anonymous Coward]

Do these guys understand their physics? If they can detect activity in the near field, then it will modify a return signal in the far field. A wideband radar will return all the neural activity, its just a matter of datamining the backscatter.

If they have issues with attenuation, then they wrap the signal in a range of lower frequencies and use them to penetrate.

Completely non-invasive.

If they increase the amplitude, they can then drive neurons too in highly complex ways.

Neurons aren't just in the brain

[king neckbeard]

There are also neurons in the rest of the body. Assuming these are replacement limbs instead of supplementary limbs, why wouldn't they intercae with the neurons the body was previously using to do those communications, e.g., control a replacement hand by connecting it to the neurons in the wrist?