from the I-forsee-an-awkward-ER-visit-in-their-future dept.
Brain-computer interfacing for amputees:
A new study by neuroscientists at the University of Chicago shows how amputees can learn to control a robotic arm through electrodes implanted in the brain.
The research, published in Nature Communications, details changes that take place in both sides of the brain used to control the amputated limb and the remaining, intact limb. The results show both areas can create new connections to learn how to control the device, even several years after an amputation.
"That's the novel aspect to this study, seeing that chronic, long-term amputees can learn to control a robotic limb," said Nicho Hatsopoulos, PhD, professor of organismal biology and anatomy at UChicago and senior author of the study. "But what was also interesting was the brain's plasticity over long-term exposure, and seeing what happened to the connectivity of the network as they learned to control the device."
...
The researchers worked with three rhesus monkeys who suffered injuries at a young age and had to have an arm amputated to rescue them four, nine and 10 years ago, respectively. Their limbs were not amputated for the purposes of the study. In two of the animals, the researchers implanted electrode arrays in the side of the brain opposite, or contralateral, to the amputated limb. This is the side that used to control the amputated limb. In the third animal, the electrodes were implanted on the same side, or ipsilateral, to the amputated limb. This is the side that still controlled the intact limb.The monkeys were then trained (with generous helpings of juice) to move a robotic arm and grasp a ball using only their thoughts. The scientists recorded the activity of neurons where the electrodes were placed, and used a statistical model to calculate how the neurons were connected to each other before the experiments, during training and once the monkeys mastered the activity.
What if you're not an amputee and just want extra limbs?
Karthikeyan Balasubramanian, et. al. Changes in cortical network connectivity with long-term brain-machine interface exposure after chronic amputation. Nature Communications, 2017; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01909-2
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:45AM
Monkey amputees, fed copiously with juice, can learn to control a robotic arm with their minds.
There are doubts that some humans will react the same way; eg I really doubt that sticking nails in his head and feeding him juice will show any learning outcome on Ethanol-fueled.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by gringer on Wednesday November 29 2017, @09:11AM (2 children)
Just in case you didn't know, our entire body is filled with a neural network that learns things. The brain is a concentrated cluster of neurons, but we've got plenty of neurons elsewhere in our body that should be sufficient for training simple motor movements, in places that are less likely to reduce our life expectancy if they get damaged. Arms, for example (or whatever remains above the amputation point).
To reiterate and clarify a point I've made many times previously, we don't need to teach computers how to understand our neurons. All that is necessary is to provide an interface that does stuff (and can be observed), then let our own neurons do the training and learning.
Ask me about Sequencing DNA in front of Linus Torvalds [youtube.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @09:45AM (1 child)
Prosthetics might be fine, but I don't think you can realize the greatest benefits the technology can offer without making well-understood brain-computer interfaces embedded in the brain. For example, allowing a person to perform complex calculations, Google searches, offline database searches, etc. as an extension of their own thoughts. Or allowing a computer to optimize your movements based on various inputs (human vision, other sensors, etc.) and real-time calculations/simulations. That could allow you to parkour everywhere without getting hurt, or act in response to dangers seconds or hundreds of milliseconds before normal human reactions could possibly kick in.
With quadriplegics, you might as well put the interface in their brain.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:09PM
Nah, information access is good enough as is, that will happen but the real gains would be interfaces for controlling robotic appendages. Human control obviates the need for advanced ai, and vastly increase production.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 29 2017, @11:56AM
Say what? I can't even pat my head, rub my tummy, and sing Old Mc Donald simultaneously.
Throw a robot arm into the mix and I would be dangerous.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday November 29 2017, @12:45PM (1 child)
That's the true test. Artificial limbs so good that people chop off their working limbs.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:27PM
What if you're not an amputee and just want extra juice?
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(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @02:36PM
The lack of dexterity of robot arms might make them a cure for masturbators and thus eligible as a free treatment under the current administration's health care plans. Maybe robot arms could be made universally mandatory. Think of how this would be a big kick start that would lead to rapid improvements and innovations in robot appendages. So it's a treatment1 for what evil2 ills our perfect society and a jobs program all in one.
1 for tiny hands
2 for tiny minds
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 01 2017, @08:13PM
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