By Jagriti Arora
Imagine if you could change TV channels purely by intent; or if you could play video games without moving an inch, solely with your mind. These happen to be some of the most gripping applications of Brain-Computer Interface or Brain-Machine Interface. One can seek to fully grasp the potential and depth of Brain-Computer Interface by turning to academia. Often aimed at augmenting, assisting or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions, BCI is a direct pathway between a brain and an external device (Wolpaw et al. 2002). This technology, thus, helps its users by-pass the conventional mental input/output pathways of nerves and muscles. This is done with the aid of neural laces, an ultra-thin mesh that can be implanted in the skull. The so-formed mesh forms a collection of electrodes capable of monitoring brain function.
The vast scope of the technology
Applications of BCI extend far beyond making humans lazier. The technology has the potential to allow people with disabilities, such as tetraplegia & locked-in syndrome, to perform independent functions. The tool can be not only a means of communication but also provide prosthetic control for the severely disabled. Apart from the aforementioned, BCI also facilitates Neurorehabilitation after Brain injuries or injuries. Its applications extend beyond healthcare and entertainment to lie-detection, brain fingerprinting and trust assessment. Although important for all professions, mental alertness is instrumental for some. In this light, BCI also helps to monitor cognitive state. For instance, nobody would want to be in a plane ridden by a sleepy pilot; no pilot would want to be directed by an absent-minded air traffic controller.
Chasing the surreal, Elon Musks Neuralink is based on the very concept. The start-up seeks to link the human brain to the computer, via cybernetic implants (purportedly). The venture has maintained a discreet existence so far, except for 2017, when it raised 29.96 million USD in a funding round. Neuralink, in its ambition, trumps Musks previous start-ups Space-X and Tesla. It seeks to define future humans, instead of the future of humans. Elon Musk has himself articulated the short-term objectives of the initiative. Apart from enlarging the input/output channels of humans, the technology seeks to help people with brain diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons.
Enabling machines to take greater control
Numerous movies such as Spider-Man, Bicentennial Man, The Terminator Series, illustrate that humans fancy the idea of prolonging their lives, irrespective of its contrary existential underpinning. In this light, merging self with machines is a definite next step. Shortened as Cyborg, Cybernetic organisms are living beings that have both organic and mechanical/electrical part that accentuate or restore their functions. Kevin Warwicks Project Cyborg 1.0 is a case in point. A professor at the Department of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, Warwick, implanted a nerve cluster below his left wrist with a silicon chip transporter, which was connected to an external electrical terminal. The act allowed nerve impulses to traverse from his arm to the terminal, where they would finally turn to communicable signals. The project is a milestone in BCI Technology since it entails movements of external arms only through neural signals. Therefore, if deliberated for amputees, it facilitates limb movement by just a thought.
Facebook F8 developer conference saw the announcement of a brain-computer interface that lets its users type with their thoughts. Regina Duran, who now heads building eight research group at Facebook, calls the technology Brain Mouse for AR, removing the need for augmented reality devices that track hand motions. HoloLens, using hand-tracking, lets users tap their fingers in front of them, as though theyre clicking a mouse. Facebooks intervention is called a speech prosthetic for people with severe paralysis. Recently Facebook and Microsoft have been reported to be having a conflict over patenting the idea of thinking your way around a computer device, handsfree.
What the future holds
Even a cursory glance at literature reveals the fear of mind control. The day wont be far when the human body would merge with machines beyond repair, some worry. Brainternet, a BCI project, seeks to convert the users brain into a node for IoT: Internet of Things. This further allows the plugged-in mind to connect to the internet. Raspberry Pi, a small receiver, detects and transmits such as action potentials. In other words, it converts brain activity into signals uploaded on public domains of the internet. The possibility of applications of BCI is endless! For example, BCI Technology may enable users to create music with their thoughts using a device called encephalophone. Its applications could extend to even the colour of lights, or perhaps odour or even dietary suggestions. In fact, a lack of constraint for these functions is pervasive. The advancement and future trajectory of opportunistic BCI rest on large-scale collection and analysis of data.
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