NEWRON Vol V, Issue XVI
Natan Davidovics
Hopkins Neuroengineering web site: http://neuroengineering.bme.jhu.edu
New job blog: http://neuroengjobs.blogspot.com/
Blog for administrative questions: http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com
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Enjoy,
Natan Davidovics
NEWRON Publishing Corporation
Where man and machine will meet
Kevin Warwick predicts many of us in the future will choose to become a mixture of man and machine, writes Marie Boran
KEVIN WARWICK says people need to upgrade or suffer the consequences. He’s not talking about computer software; he’s talking about the future of humanity. He also claims he is the world’s first cyborg. He has progressed to having 100 electrodes surgically attached to nerve fibres in his arm, which allows his brain to communicate directly with a computer and vice versa. When Warwick’s arm is connected to a computer it not only controls things on screen but can also receive signals from the computer that go straight to Warwick’s brain and are interpreted as neural pulses. As it turns out, he was able to develop ultrasonic perception for navigation much like a bat by transmitting wearable sonar sensors into pulses.
'Mind reading' brain scans reveal secrets of human vision
Researchers call it mind reading. One at a time, they show a volunteer – who's resting in an MRI scanner – a series of photos of beaches, city streets, forests, highways, mountains and offices. The subject looks at the photos, but says nothing. The researchers, however, can usually tell which photo the volunteer is watching at any given moment, aided by sophisticated software that interprets the signals coming from the scan. They glean clues not only by noting what part of the brain is especially active, but also by analyzing the patterns created by the firing neurons. They call it decoding. The researchers removed almost all of the detail from the color photographs, leaving only sparse line drawings of the assorted scenes. When they ran the experiment again with just the outlines, the researchers were still able to read the minds of the participants – with as much accuracy as before.
Biomedical engineering: In tune with the brain
Electroencephalography (EEG) records the electrical signals produced by the brain using an array of electrodes placed on the scalp. Computers use an algorithm called common spatial pattern (CSP) to translate these signals into commands for the control of various devices. Haiping Lu at the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research and co-workers1 have now developed an improved version of CSP for classifying EEG signals. The new algorithm will facilitate the development of advanced brain–computer interfaces that may one day enable paralyzed patients to control devices such as computers and robotic arms. CSP distinguishes and interprets commands by estimating the variations between EEG signals, and its accuracy strongly depends on how many signals are provided. As a result, CSP may make an incorrect interpretation when the number of EEG signals is small.