Monkeys move wheelchair with their minds
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029628
Los Angeles Times : Two lab monkeys have succeeded in moving a wheelchair across a room by using nothing but brain power. Researchers implanted electrodes in the subjects’ brains to detect the firing of neurons in the sensorimotor cortex as the animals were tempted with a food reward. Then the scientists placed each monkey in a wheelchair, remotely moved the chair toward the target, and recorded the distinctive pattern of neural firing as each monkey calculated and recalculated the changing distances. Finally, the researchers programmed the wheelchair to respond to those particular signals. The resulting brain–machine interface allowed the monkeys to move toward and reach the prize with their thoughts. The researchers plan to adapt the technique for human patients, such as quadriplegics and others who are paralyzed.