Singularity Sunrise

Artificial Hand That Feels

An advance in the design of prosthetic hands has been made that allows the user to "feel" objects (CNN):

The SmartHand project is funded by the European Union and is a collaboration between researchers from across  the continent. It has produced a prototype motorized prosthetic hand that researchers say gives unprecedented sensory feedback. [...] the SmartHand gives much more control than other systems. It also allows sensory information to be detected and transmitted from several sensors in each prosthetic finger, meaning users can actually "feel" objects they hold in the SmartHand.

The report notes that the long-term goal of the project is to attach sensors directly to nerves, via a "neural interface." More:

Thought-Powered Wheelchair

In this latest development in brain-machine interface technology, a user is able to move a wheelchair by thinking about it:

The person in the wheelchair wears a cap that can read brain signals, which are relayed to a brain scan electroencephalograph, or EEG, on the electrically powered wheelchair, and then analyzed in a computer program. Research into mobility is part of Toyota's larger strategy to go beyond automobiles in helping people get around in new ways. The new system allows the person on the wheelchair to turn left or right and go forward, almost instantly, according to researchers.

More development is needed to handle complex tasks (like braking), but it's certainly a noteworthy advance.

Your Brain on Twitter

I've posted before about advances in brain-computer interface technology and this latest advance involves one of the hot topics of the day - Twitter. The micro-blogging service has been in the news a lot lately, just a week or two ago Oprah sent her first tweet and Ashton Kutcher and CNN Breaking News each surpassed 1 million Twitter followers. Twitter has become part of the popular lexicon and firmly established as part of pop culture. And now for the neurotech angle: What if you could Twitter just by thinking it? Scientists at  the University of Wisconsin have been working on brain-computer interfaces to help paralyzed patients and they have used the technology to allow a user to send messages to Twitter without typing them in. This is a very promising technology that not only demonstrates the utility of Twitter but also opens up a world of communication for those whose world would otherwise be very limited.

Photo: UW-Madison

The Internet Is Good for Your Brain

Does our interaction with the internet change brain function? That is the subject of this report which notes a new study examining the issue:

The MRI results showed that both text reading and Internet searching stimulated the regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and vision. But the Internet search lit up more areas of the brain, additionally activating the regions controlling complex reasoning and decision making. The increased brain activity, which is probably due to the many rapid choices such searches involve, suggests that subjects had a richer sensory experience and heightened attention [...] "Our findings point to an association between routine Internet searching and neural circuitry activation in middle-aged and older adults," the study said. "Further study will elucidate both the potential positive and negative influences of these technologies on the aging brain."

The popularity of brain exercises (some technological, some not) suggests that people understand that engaging in mentally intense activities stimulates neuron growth. The idea that merely searching the web may also stimulate brain function is something I would not have expected, but searching for something (on the web on IRL) takes energy and concentration, so perhaps it's not so surprising. We are told by the health gurus that you should read, do crosswords and have frequent social interaction with others to keep your mind sharp and alert. To that we can now add, search the web. In reply to those who say the internet is dumbing us down, we can point to this study and suggest that a high tech future may be one in which we all enjoy healthier brains.

Your Brain on Machines

 

In Jacking into the Brain--Is the Brain the Ultimate Computer Interface? Scientific American asks: How far can science advance brain-machine interface technology? Will we one day pipe the latest blog entry or NASCAR highlights directly into the human brain as if the organ were an outsize flash drive?

Monkey Science

Here is an interesting report about advances in treating paralysis using computer games, brain cells and monkeys (monkeys not required for eventual human use):

Brains!

Nat Torkington of O'Reilly Radar offers a roundup of several interesting news links and blogged items related to brains and neuroscience.

Mind Control

Neuroscience as a weapon? DARPA is ready to invest in some research and development (Wired News - Defense Spooks: Let's Control Enemy Minds):

Forget performance-enhancing drugs for soldiers, the next frontier is performance-degrading drugs for our enemies. Rick Weiss at the Science Progress blog has just written a nice post about a just-released 150-page report from the National Research Council and the Defense Intelligence Agency that argues that the military needs to do a better job keeping up with neuroscience: in part so it can learn how to make our enemies stupider.

I can think of a lot of alternatives that may accomplish the same goal, like exporting our reality TV shows.

Brain Powered Robot Tested

Pioneering brain research is being done by the man who is famous for implanting a chip into his arm, yes, Kevin Warwick is at it again (ZDNet - A robot with a biological brain):

University of Reading scientists have developed a robot controlled by a biological brain formed from cultured neurons. And this is a world’s premiere. Other research teams have tried to control robots with ‘brains,’ but there was always a computer in the loop. This new project is the first one to examine ‘how memories manifest themselves in the brain, and how a brain stores specific pieces of data.’ As life expectancy is increasing in most countries, this new research could provide insights into how the brain works and help aging people. In fact, the main goal of this project is to understand better the development of diseases and disorders which affect the brain such as Alzheimer or Parkinson diseases. It’s interesting to note that this project is being led by Professor Kevin Warwick, who became famous in 1998 when a silicon chip was implanted in his arm to allow a computer to monitor him in order to assess the latest technology for use with the disabled.

Just so there's no confusion or alarm here, the brain in question is not actually a full-sized brain, either inside a head or out, it's a small collection of cultured neurons that control the robot with a Bluetooth connection. So, don't imagine a C3PO sized robot with a human brain. This is very basic research into how brains learn and work. Still, it's a rather catchy headline, isn't it.

Brain-Computer Interface Apps

Here is an application of neurotech to solve urgent social problems. Ok, not really. It may be that the first successful commercial application of a brain-computer interface will be used to play video games (Slashdot -  NIA Brain-Computer Interface, Mind-Control Gaming):

Sunnyvale-based manufacturer OCZ Technology has laid claim to being the first to bring a 'brain-computer' interface to the retail market and they have aimed it squarely at the gamer. The device is called the NIA, which is an acronym that stands for Neural Impulse Actuator. Instead of buttons, sticks, gyroscopes or motion sensors, it reads the body's natural bio-signals and translates them into commands that can be used to control PC games. This evaluation of the NIA shows the product actually works as advertised, with a little practice. It can, in some cases, offer reaction times superior to standard controllers, based on faster trigger response time, and the difference is quite noticeable and immediate.

All we really want to do is shoot zombies. Is that so wrong?