WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A microchip implanted in the brain has allowed a paralyzed man to communicate by text — at speeds that approach the typical smartphone user.
The achievement is the latest advance in "brain-computer interface" (BCI) systems.
Scientists have been studying BCI technology for years, with the aim of one day giving people with paralysis or limb amputations greater independence in their daily lives.
It basically works like this: Tiny chips are implanted in movement-related areas
of the brain, where they tap into electrical activity in cells. When a person imagines executing a movement, the relevant brain cells start firing. Those electrical signals are then transmitted by wires to a computer, where they are "decoded" by sophisticated algorithms and translated into action, allowing people to control assistive devices with their own mind power.Researchers at a few universities have used BCI to enable small numbers of patients to mentally control robotic limbs or move computer cursors to "type" text.
