Brain - Computer Interfaces [BCI]
Whilst reading The Guardian on Saturday, I came across this article.
The article begins by reffering to research currently being undertaken by scientists in the US have successfully managed to 'steer' sharks through a tank of water by stimulating sensors in the olfactory part of their brains using a series of implanted electrodes. The electrodes emit a signals which cause the sharks to believe that they can smell something, they then follow this scent.
When asked if this research could be used to create 'remote-controlled human killing machines' [the project is funded by the US Military!] Richard Apps, a Neurophysiologist from Bristol University said no, stating that guiding fish through water was a far simpler task than getting a person to commit a series of complicated tasks against their will.
Human BCI is not totally science-fiction though. Mathew Nagle, a 25 year old stabbing victim, is a quadriplegic. He is paralysed from the neck down - yet he beat Richard Martin, writer for Wired magazine, at a number of games of Pong. How? By using an array of 96 electrodes implanted onto the portion of the brain that deals with arm and hand movement.
Through his thoughts, Nagle can control a TV. He can turn it on and off, change the channels and also adjust the volume. The researchers involved in the clinical trials of this technology, BrainGate, are working with Nagle to ascertain the capabilities of both Nagle and the BrainGate interface. The projects future goals are to return the use of limbs to those like Nagle who have lost the use of them through injury or disease.
This work seems to be fairly similar, in terms of its goals, to the of Prof. Warwick. Another instance of a human adding a computer chip into their body in order to use the mind/nerves to control external applications. Both projects could be seen to be a simulation of telepathy, which itself could surely be seen to be one of the most organic forms of interaction?
So do these projects mean that in order to become less robot-like when we interface with our technologies, we must become more robotic in the physical sense. This would mean that interfacing that had previously seemed robot-like in terms of the protocols that had to be followed, would seem natural as we would all have chips or devices implanted in ourselves which would do this interfacing for us, but which would be controlled through more natural and organic stimulations such as brainwaves or nerve reflexes.
The more I research interfaces such as these, the more and more it becomes apparent that the only way to not be like robots, is to actually be robots. Will we ever reach the stage where technology as complicated as we have now, can be used through simple protocols? I personally don't think this will be the case. Certainly not in my lifetime.
So there it is, a challenge to the scientific communities of the globe. Prove me wrong!
The article begins by reffering to research currently being undertaken by scientists in the US have successfully managed to 'steer' sharks through a tank of water by stimulating sensors in the olfactory part of their brains using a series of implanted electrodes. The electrodes emit a signals which cause the sharks to believe that they can smell something, they then follow this scent.
When asked if this research could be used to create 'remote-controlled human killing machines' [the project is funded by the US Military!] Richard Apps, a Neurophysiologist from Bristol University said no, stating that guiding fish through water was a far simpler task than getting a person to commit a series of complicated tasks against their will.
Human BCI is not totally science-fiction though. Mathew Nagle, a 25 year old stabbing victim, is a quadriplegic. He is paralysed from the neck down - yet he beat Richard Martin, writer for Wired magazine, at a number of games of Pong. How? By using an array of 96 electrodes implanted onto the portion of the brain that deals with arm and hand movement.
Through his thoughts, Nagle can control a TV. He can turn it on and off, change the channels and also adjust the volume. The researchers involved in the clinical trials of this technology, BrainGate, are working with Nagle to ascertain the capabilities of both Nagle and the BrainGate interface. The projects future goals are to return the use of limbs to those like Nagle who have lost the use of them through injury or disease.
This work seems to be fairly similar, in terms of its goals, to the of Prof. Warwick. Another instance of a human adding a computer chip into their body in order to use the mind/nerves to control external applications. Both projects could be seen to be a simulation of telepathy, which itself could surely be seen to be one of the most organic forms of interaction?
So do these projects mean that in order to become less robot-like when we interface with our technologies, we must become more robotic in the physical sense. This would mean that interfacing that had previously seemed robot-like in terms of the protocols that had to be followed, would seem natural as we would all have chips or devices implanted in ourselves which would do this interfacing for us, but which would be controlled through more natural and organic stimulations such as brainwaves or nerve reflexes.
The more I research interfaces such as these, the more and more it becomes apparent that the only way to not be like robots, is to actually be robots. Will we ever reach the stage where technology as complicated as we have now, can be used through simple protocols? I personally don't think this will be the case. Certainly not in my lifetime.
So there it is, a challenge to the scientific communities of the globe. Prove me wrong!
posted by Paul Coffield at 5:36 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home