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Paralyzed Individuals Operate Tablet With Brain Implant (ieee.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the hands-free dept.

Last year, a study from the BrainGate consortium reported that a brain-computer interface (BCI) enabled a paralyzed man to type up to eight words per minute via thoughts alone. Now, according to new results from a BrainGate2 clinical trial, the same BCI was used to help three participants operate an off-the-shelf tablet. IEEE Spectrum reports: All three participants suffer from weakness or loss of movement in their arms due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease) or spinal cord injury. Each received the brain implant, an array of microelectrodes, as part of the BrainGate2 clinical trial. For this particular study, decoded neural signals from the implant were routed through an industry-standard Human Interface Device protocol, providing a virtual mouse. That "mouse" was paired to a Google Nexus 9 tablet via Bluetooth.

Each participant was asked to try out seven common apps on the tablet: email, chat, web browser, video sharing, music streaming, a weather program and a news aggregator. The researchers also asked the users if they wanted any additional apps, and subsequently added the keyboard app, grocery shopping on Amazon, and a calculator. The participants made up to 22 point-and-click selections per minute and typed up to 30 characters per minute in email and text programs. What's more, all three participants really enjoyed using the tablet.

61 comments

  1. Good start by Luckyo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That sounds very interesting. If the accuracy and speed of "mental control over object in two dimensional space" gets high enough and doesn't interfere with normal motor control in healthy people, I can see this becoming standard for pretty much anyone that needs to use complex machinery of any kind.

    1. Re:Good start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Some of the original work from BrainGate had a problem; the connection between the neurons and the embedded chip would decay over time. This was due to scar tissue that would form around the microscopic "readers" that contacted the neurons.

      I wonder if this generation of tech has solved that problem.

    2. Re:Good start by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      I'm not up to date on the bleeding edge of medical science, but from what limited information I have, we have ways of reducing/slowing down formation of scar tissue and "hiding" it in certain kinds of wounds and tissues, but nothing that would prevent scar tissue from forming.

      If anyone has a better idea, please tell us about it.

    3. Re:Good start by Immerman · · Score: 2

      Use fiber-optics so that never touch the cells you're monitoring. Perhaps genetically engineer the brain cells you want to monitor to fluoresce when firing. If you want two-way communication, then you engineer them to make the cell walls produce chloroplasts in two different colors, so that you can shine one color light on them to make them fire, and another to suppress firing.

      The fun part? The chloroplast thing has actually already been done - watched an interesting TED talk years ago. They used the ability to study what exactly the cells do by selectively activating or suppressing certain cell types in tightly focused spots in the brain. The scary part? The fact that they seemingly took no particular precautions to contain the virus used to modify the cells, reasoning that they were using a harmless virus that usually caused no symptoms, at worst a minor sniffle. My thought was no, it WAS a harmless virus, now it makes peoples brain's grow two kinds of chloroplasts, with non-zero metabolic costs and unknown long-term consequences, especially on developing embryos. (Yes, I immediately investigated when Zika hit the media. Unrelated virus)

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      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    4. Re:Good start by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      Considering the complexity of the system we call "human brain", I would suggest that attempting to genetically engineer its cells is very, VERY far away. We don't really understand how it actually works yet.

    5. Re:Good start by Immerman · · Score: 1

      As I said - it's already been done. Years ago.

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      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    6. Re: Good start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, in a Ted talk. But talk is cheap, like you, whore.

    7. Re:Good start by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      If that was done years ago, we'd be hearing about it all the time, as this would be a massive breakthrough both in understanding of how brain works and in genetic engineering.

      Seeing how opposite is true, I'm calling BS.

  2. keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Is our world so broken that all we can do is think in terms of mouse movements and keyboard apps?

    If you can control a mouse, you can train your brain to produce binary coded character streams. Yes, it will take some training. Not unlike learning how to touch type. But imagine how powerful a brain interface could be if you could think text instead of the painfully slow process of moving a mouse from button to button.

    1. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It took a ridiculously long time for this device to appear considering all the underlying tech has been dirt cheap for about 5-7 years now, but I guess that's the blink of an eye in a highly regulated bureaucratic behemoth. Speaking of which, what probably makes this possible is the correlation between "mouse go here" and looking at it (focusing/moving your eyes). Eye movements produce very 'loud' easily readable brain waves. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease so there is probably a difference between ALS brainwaves and normal brainwaves. To make the leap that binary coded character streams should be easy is completely baseless, especially in ALS patients.

    2. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      If you can control a mouse, you can train your brain to produce binary coded character streams

      This is true. The human mind is capable of amazing feats, especially when required to overcome some handicap or hardship.

      For example, Helen Keller was able to become highly educated and earn a degree from a prestigious university, despite being from Alabama.

    3. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice setup -- you really had me until the last word! Well played.

    4. Re: keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot to say "and black".

    5. Re:keyboard app? by Immerman · · Score: 1

      If you can control a mouse, you already have the interface, all you need is the app. One mouse movement in any of 8 different directions, you can output 3 bits at a time. And no reason you have to limit it to just 8 directions.

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      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    6. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you ever heard a riddle and come up with a punchline you thought was better than the "official" one?

      I was asked this riddle: How did Hellen Keller burn her fingers?

      My answer: Learning to spell the word "fire".

      The "official" answer: Trying to read a waffle iron.

      P.S. Hellen Keller's first word was water, not fire.

    7. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But imagine how powerful a brain interface could be if you could think text instead of the painfully slow process of moving a mouse from button to button.

      You know, as someone who has had several friends who were paralyzed from the neck down, the potential of this to improve people's daily life is huge.

      Imagine you're stuck in your own body, in a wheel chair, and a couple of times a day a caregiver comes to do a few things. It's isolating, and your life shrinks down to bed time/wake time, meal times, when you'll get bathed and taken to the toilet. More so if you don't have enough muscle control to do much else.

      Everything from booking your own transport, to communicating with people, reading books and daily news, to potentially controlling the TV if you had the right app and hardware -- and since I have an app which controls my Apple TV on my tablet, I know such a thing is already in existence.

      While this might not be the magic brain/computer interface, for the people it will benefit, it's an absolutely huge benefit. Their world can get considerably larger in scope very fast.

      Something as simple as "hey, I'm going to fire up Netflix and watch a movie" could be the most amazing experience if you've not been able to do it yourself for years, because any form of independence and autonomy is a major change to your life.

      Don't underestimate the magnitude of what this would bring to people. You could literally change the quality of someone's life with this. I'm sure you could reduce some people to tears of joy if you told them they'd get what was described in the summary, because it would be leaps and bounds beyond what they have now.

      All from something as 'simple' as a virtual keyboard and a mouse and the means to control it.

      But imagine how powerful a brain interface could be if you could think text instead of the painfully slow process of moving a mouse from button to button.

      Now, imagine the only way you can type is with a stick that has a bite guard on it, and ask yourself, which is the painfully slow process? I guarantee you, this will be leaps and bounds better.

    8. Re:keyboard app? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The world isn't "broken". The people who need this stuff, their bodies are broken.

      It's easy to imagine better interfaces and hard to build them; it's not like people haven't tried. You are free to try too. Our brains are hard-wired to our limbs, our senses, our bodies, yet you think you can one-up all of that with a "binary coded character stream"?

      Well impress us then. I doubt you'll get far but stranger things have happened.

  3. Re:You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by webmistressrachel · · Score: 0

    He should eat lots of red hot grits... Slashdot style...

    --
    This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
  4. Re: You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by edris90 · · Score: 0

    Just create a new username and change up your writing patterns. As in the majority of situations in life,. If. you want to keep things nice. Be discreet and don't be noticed

  5. This is going to be abused by employers eventually by edris90 · · Score: 1

    It's already hard enough to get an employer's to match the workload to what they're willing to pay. Things like this or just going to encourage additional cheating of workers the true value of their work. My my the way we cheat countless future Generations in order to take shortcuts today

  6. Would have been great for Hawking. by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    Would've :(

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    [($)]
  7. What about mobility? by caviare · · Score: 1

    That's great. Now I want them to be able operate a http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/P-5000_Powered_Work_Loader, so they can move around and send those aliens back where they came from.

  8. Re: You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by skam240 · · Score: 2

    Heh, you've been duped. That is not a normal user post or I don't know shit about anything.

    I was looking at a similar post recently with similar use of bold and caps that was complaining about right wing posters while specifically talking about their own physique although in that case they went on to discuss their calf implants.

    Pro tip: Any time you see such a mess of formatting in a post it's not the work of a normal user. Are they crazy? Are they propagandists? Who knows. They certainly arent worth anyone's time though.

    --
    I ignore Anonymous Coward posts. If you want to discuss something, that's awesome. Log in.
  9. Better hope creimer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    never gets paralyzed

  10. Re:webmistressrachel = fake name massive human fai by webmistressrachel · · Score: 0

    tl;dr: Rachel bites a troll

    You cheeky fat wastrel piece of shit, saying I'VE done nothing? For the LAST TIME, female webmaster called Rachel, wtf about that is fantasy??? You're just revealing how sick a perv you must be, assuming it's something fantasy-related, I am fed up of men begging me to be their mistress because they read crap meanings into my username, then claiming it's somehow my fault for having it!! Go project on someone else you abusive scum. Better yet, go kill yourself. Take some actual trannies WITH you if you must, since you seem to hate them so much, just don't try to defame and lie about me anymore just because I'm a woman on the internet who's been laughing at your HOSTS crap for decades here on /.! Helps me let off steam! NOW GO FIND A MIRROR! Sick of trying to be nice to you!

    --
    This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
  11. Paralyzed Individuals by quenda · · Score: 1

    It's sad what political correctness is doing to the English language. We used to have a perfectly good words for "participants with tetraplegia" or "persons living with visual disability".

    1. Re:Paralyzed Individuals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you mean a cripple and a batboy?

    2. Re: Paralyzed Individuals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This could be useful for normies too: most people use their tablet without a brain!

  12. Aren't you the same "Luckyo" faggot that says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That plastic bits in human cells are so small they have "no associated health risks" because "they're inert" and "can't harm human tissues"? Aren't you that same retarded lying faggot denialist punkass? Yeah you are bitchyo.

    1. Re:Aren't you the same "Luckyo" faggot that says by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      Well, based on your sample of one, I guess your brain is certainly damaged.

    2. Re:Aren't you the same "Luckyo" faggot that says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, being taken seriously isn't one of your goals, then?

  13. Re:webmistressrachel = fake name massive human fai by webmistressrachel · · Score: 0

    tl;dr: 20/20 hindsight...

    Fucking awesome that "go a find a mirror" could have more than one meaning... one might think I was trying to imply he should go troll Soylent News, when actually I want him to see his fat ugly self. I'm quite pleased with how I look at the age of 37, I bet he didn't when was 37, probably already looking like the archetypal BOFH with too much money to waste on junk food and coke, and not enough people nearby in a position to moderate his abuse. Roll on 20 years, we have apk. That HOSTS shit came out when 3.1 was "the cool thing", ffs.

    --
    This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
  14. iPad should add mouse support to enable BrainGate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This single application is the best reason to add mouse support to iPad!

  15. Re: webmistressrachel = fake name massive human fa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even APK knows his behavior is indefensible and his knowledge of computers is vastly overrated. He'll probably try to deny that he posted that comment, just like he did when he got called out for saying you can put port filters in hosts and that it'll work. Rather than admit he'd been wrong for months, he tried to say he was impersonated. New tactic, same lunacy.

  16. Re:You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot style... Does that mean he has to eat them accompanied by Natalie Portman, naked and petrified?

    I'm in.

    Meeept!

  17. Perfect for the libs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Finally the brain dead can post to slashdot!

  18. What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mat.

  19. Apple's Response by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Got ya!

  20. What do you call him if he falls off a boat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Bob.

  21. A single tablet for all of them??!? by pem · · Score: 1

    Someone should set up a go-fund-me to get more tablets. Maybe those people who helped that homeless guy -- they have a proven track record.

  22. Morbid question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do you do if the first thing they type is "kill me"?

  23. Re:This is going to be abused by employers eventua by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    Why yes. Give your ditch digger a backhoe, and that just enables you to exploit him for more work.

    If you’re going to be a socialite, at least don’t be a Luddite socialist. That just assures that your ideas will never be tried out in a real country.

  24. IMPERSONATING ME AGAIN? apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    gweihir KNOWS u IMPERSONATE me https://it.slashdot.org/commen... c6gunner proves it https://linux.slashdot.org/com... he forgot to SUBMIT as AC & using his registered 'lusrname' instead (because he tried to mock me both BEFORE & after I FAIRLY challenged him to show he's done better work - he had ZERO).

    & NO WAY I'd "cry" like you "ne'er-do-wells" on /. (TROLL /.ers, not all) OR post on hosts offtopic.

    YOU HELPED ME https://science.slashdot.org/c... (& you quit trying to make me look bad trying to "tell lies" on hosts as "ME" IN YOUR IMPERSONATIONS of me e.g. https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... as regards Intel speculative execution attack? Hosts PREVENT 'EM)

    APK

    P.S.=> I KNOW the 2nd to last link above's KILLING YOU - YOU ACTUALLY HELPED ME getting me to see if hosts stop more than portsmash (& Meltdown + Spectre too) & "lo & behold" - hosts WORK on 'em - U LOSE (& U STOPPED TRYING IT in your impersonations of me) .... apk

  25. Re:webmistressrachel = fake name massive human fai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    tl;dr: Rachel bites a troll

    Indeed, you have.

    APK is batshit crazy and we all know it. Spare yourself the grief and just ignore him.

    He's just sitting in a room feeling hostile about his pathetic little life and his tiny penis, and is taking it out on everyone else like he always does.

    On behalf of those of us who aren't threatened by women in tech, stop wasting your energy on idiots. They're just as pathetic in real life as they are on the internet and not worthy of a response.

    Now, behold as APK stops masturbating long enough to send some bile my way ... he'll vent some spleen and then cry himself to sleep on his pillow as usual and then start all over again tomorrow ... it's a fart in a hurricane from an inconsequential and pathetic loser who can't stop himself from trying on his mom's underwear when she's not home.

  26. webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & her quoted: "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * Grow up you TWISTED abnormal BUTTHURT weirdo... ok?

    APK

    P.S.=> I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks... apk

    1. Re: webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about AlecStaar?

  27. webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & her quoted: "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * Grow up you TWISTED abnormal BUTTHURT weirdo... ok?

    APK

    P.S.=> I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks... apk

  28. webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & her quoted: "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * Grow up you TWISTED abnormal BUTTHURT weirdo... ok?

    APK

    P.S.=> I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks... apk

  29. webmistressrachel you FAIL portfilter test... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You FAIL a SIMPLE portfilter test https://yro.slashdot.org/comme...

    Then see webmistressrachel quoted:

    "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * Grow up you TWISTED abnormal BUTTHURT weirdo... ok?

    APK

    P.S.=> I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks for proving you're the one IMPERSONATING me too... apk

  30. webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & her quoted: "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * Grow up you TWISTED abnormal BUTTHURT weirdo... ok?

    APK

    P.S.=> I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks... apk

  31. webmistressrachel's the one impersonating me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & her quoted: "Successfully winding up a troll like apk is more satisfying than it should be" https://developers.slashdot.or...

    * No, I can't GET the account I want in "APK" as some guy named Andrew took it years before I got here & I was using my initials for AGES before that online since 1993 (to just be me, not some "phantasyland" made up name & I don't HIDE behind a FAKENAME online & I also refuse to be EASILY TRACKED "SHEEPLE" beneath a javascript TRACKING "registered 'lusrname'" on /. anyhow)

    APK

    P.S.=> See subject: I kept saying to myself "Only a KID or woman OR HOMO would act so childishly" & there you are - a waste of life proving what's what for me - thanks... apk

  32. Since I just watched StarWars you'll love this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "This is the weapon of a jediknight! Not as clumsy/random as a blaster. An elegant weapon 4 a more civilized age" https://it.slashdot.org/commen...

    * "For over a 1,000 generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace & justice in the old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the EMPIRE..."

    APK

    P.S.=> Quote Obi Wan Kenobi "ObiWan Kenobi - Obiwan. Now that's a name I've not heard in a LONG time - a long time..." as regards "AlecStaar"... apk

  33. POCOPHONE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    POCOPHONE
    https://www.zonamovel.com.br/pocophone

  34. Re: You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by edris90 · · Score: 1

    I know,. The engineer in me screams when you see people throwing energy into increasing their already unhealthy dependency on external validation and attention, to the extremeof generating unpleasant emotional states about it. why would you actively practice structuring your thought processes in such a way that gives everybody else power over you? That's just shoddy workmanship. Counterproductive perceptual engineering

  35. Re: You people need to STOP BULLYING ME... apk by skam240 · · Score: 1

    You missed my point entirely. There is quite likely not a bit of honest anything in that post. The likely purpose of that post is to rile people up. While bashing regularly posting right wing types from slashdot's forums that poster has made themselves out to be the arch-type of the pathetic Leftist the more ignorant members of the Right want the Left to be. It insults idiot members of the Right while validating their world view.

    Basically, this post's point is likely to make people argue more. I don't know that for a fact but I find it to be the most likely reason as I find it unlikely that a person, as depicted there, actually exists and is also a regular slashdot user.

    --
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