Using signals from the brain to control robotic arms is no longer cutting edge, having been achieved several times in the last decade. However, in the latest research into this topic, the authors present a novelty: rapidly training monkeys to control an anthropomorphic (having a shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint as well as a gripper) in order to feed themselves1. This kind of technology promises to eventually revolutionize prosthetics and give untold freedom to those who can no longer use their own limbs but do retain the brain areas that generate the signals that once controlled them. In order for this to become feasible, the implants used to record brain activity must be vastly improved (at present they are reliable for only a matter of weeks or months), the processing power must be reduced in size (it presently requires several computers), and the process must be automated (the systems must at present be tuned by a technician online).
References:
1. Velliste M, Perel S, Spalding MC, Whitford AS, Schwartz AB. (2008) Cortical control of a prosthetic arm for self-feeding. Nature. 453(7198):1098-101.
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