The Matrix "brain tube" technology demonstration: you can control the mouse with your mind

Two studies from Stanford University and the University of Geneva show that brain-computer interfaces are making rapid progress. Although we may not be able to replace our mouse and keyboard with such systems anytime soon, this nascent technology shows promise for revolutionizing the field, especially for people with disabilities.

The first, from Stanford University, is a modified microelectrode array and computer system that allows paralyzed patients to use a cursor on a computer screen.

The array, about the size of a pediatric aspirin, has 100 electrodes that monitor the user's neurons. It is inserted into a motor cortex, and the user can adjust the cursor simply by imagining that they are moving their arm. With minimal training, some patients can type dozens of characters per minute without help, faster than existing systems.

"This study has achieved the fastest speed and accuracy to date, three times faster than before," said Krishna Shenoy, a Stanford engineering professor and co-author of the report. The purpose of this study is obviously to improve the communication speed of paralyzed patients while simplifying the setup process. However, being able to move the cursor on the screen more simply and accurately through the brain can also simplify the way to interact with regular computers. So, in addition to simple text input, it can also be used to complete tasks such as browsing the web and playing games.

"This is a safety and feasibility study," said Jamie Henderson, a professor at Stanford University and co-author of the report. "But I am confident that in the near future there will be a system that can be applied in practice to help paralyzed patients." In addition, a team at the University of Geneva has also developed a brain-computer interface that not only allows people to control the cursor, but also feeds back corresponding signals to the brain.

The difficulty is that while a brain-computer interface can read information from the brain and then allow a person to visually confirm the resulting activity (moving a bionic arm or selecting text on a screen), a real arm would also include positioning data, which is what we call proprioception, including how much the joints are bent and how much the arm is raised. Although some research has begun to produce this kind of feedback, this study took a simpler process.

The researchers used a light-based microscope to observe a series of cells in the mouse brain. When the mouse used a specific neuron chosen by the researchers (it didn't control anything, but you could imagine it turning on a light or moving an arm), it received a reward and applied a pulse of feedback in the sensory cortex.

The study found that mice could indeed associate artificial sensations with the activity of specific neurons selected by the researchers, forming a primitive but functional feedback loop.

You certainly can’t make neurons light-sensitive through gene therapy in humans. This research is at a more preliminary stage than the Stanford study, but it shows that the basic setup does work and can be improved for humans. Just build in some feedback loops to get a rough idea of ​​the position of the artificial arm with the eyes closed.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.