For people who have lost the ability to move due to injuries or illness, brain-sensing devices can allow users to use their brain to help them move in a wheelchair, aid with the rehabilitation of lost motor functions due to a stroke, or even to help move prosthetic limbs and entire exoskeletons! People who are immobilized and confined to their bed will have the ability to still interact with the world around them using these devices even though they are physically unable to move.
previous and current technology - non-invasive Brain-computer interface
wheelchairs
EPFL (2010)
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Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) uses EEG devices to help users connect their brain signals to an external device. To be non-invasive means that there is no surgery or implantation of a device into the body and the brain-sensing device is worn externally. One of the earliest examples of BCI that developers have experimented with was using the technology to move a wheelchair. Users would use their brain to send signals to the wheelchair to make it move. However, at the time, BCI needed to rely on simple signals to make the wheelchair move so the wheelchair was not moving based solely on the thoughts of the user. Some examples of simple signals included smiling to make the wheelchair move forward, and thinking about moving the left hand to make the wheelchair turn left. Now, smart wheelchairs are being researched that incorporates IoT and AI to help the wheelchair maneuver more smoothly and efficiently.
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stroke rehabilitation
BCI then progressed to help people who have suffered from a stroke and lost function of certain parts of their body to regain their ability to use their muscles again. The EEG device and electrodes help stimulate the user's muscles when they want to move a specific part of their body. Eventually the user familiarizes themselves with the stimulation and will no longer need the EEG device to perform the movements.
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EPFL (2013)
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developing technology - Vr for people who are confined to their bed
Vocativ (2017)
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For people who are confined to their beds, scientists are working on combining BCI with virtual reality (VR) so that users can still have a way to interact with the world around them. Typically with VR, users need to use a joystick to move around or are guided through a video with no autonomy. Brain-sensing devices with BCI will eliminate the need for a joystick and enable these users to feel as if they are moving around themselves in their virtual reality world. Having the device be more affordable and wireless means that more people will have access to these devices and can gain access to the VR world from home without needing to be hooked up to a device in a lab by scientists.
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developing technology - brainco prosthetic hands
Traditionally, prosthetic hands were rigid and inflexible which limited the motor function of users when using that hand. Users could only perform basic movements such as opening and closing their hand. The technology of prosthetic hands gradually developed more and allowed users to have a bit more options with movement but it still had limitations. Currently, a company called Brainco is utilizing AI and its software to allow users to program and send electrical signals from their brains to their muscles that will allow them to move individual fingers and perform the same tasks as everyone else. Users will need to use a brain-sensing wearable device to program and train their brain to familiarize the signals with their muscles but once that is accomplished, the technology has shown the potential to allow users to write calligraphy and even play the piano! Having the brain-sensing device be wireless makes it possible for users to accomplish day-to-day tasks that previous wired versions would not allow.
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Digit (2020)
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future (controversial) technology - invasive brain-computer interface
iluli by Mike Lamb (2020)
Newsthink (2020)
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The next big leap for brain-sensing technologies is to move from non-invasive brain-sensing wearable devices to invasive brain-sensing devices that would be implanted into our brains. Elon Musk, the mind behind Tesla and SpaceX, is one of the leaders who is pushing for this movement through his project called the Neuralink. His idea is to merge our brains with AI to become the computer ourselves instead of needing to rely on external devices running off AI to enhance our society. As controversial as it sounds, Elon Musk believes that Neuralink is the next progression for humans and it has the ability to bring our brains to its maximum potential. Implantation is necessary in order to send and receive stronger signals from the brain to devices that non-invasive brain-sensing devices are not able to accomplish.
Musk believes that Neuralink will change the world and improve humanity. Currently, Neuralink's target audience is people who have become paralyzed. For people confined to their beds, this could mean allowing them to use their brain to fully operate a phone or a computer and eventually even robots. Their physical body may be stuck, but they can utilize technology and their brain to help them explore and interact with the real world. Eventually, when the technology is made available to everyone, day-to-day struggles such as language barriers will no longer exist as people will be communicating using their brains and the device will translate what's being said into the user's language. We are just scratching the surface of what Neuralink can do to help enhance the quality of life for humanity! |