Test subjects with electrode implants use mind control to head a cursor

As trippy as mind-control still seems to us, we’ve already seen it implemented in everything from wheelchairs to pricey gaming ( and car driving! ) headsets. However the problem is they measure brain activity outside the skull — , the item we’ve evolved to shield the murky goings-on in our minds from prying EEG sensors.

Now, though, a team of Washington University researchers appears to have happened upon a more desirable — albeit, invasive — approach. The researchers got some brave specimens to maneuver a mouse cursor by implanting plastic pads containing electrodes underneath their skulls, with the sensors sitting at the surface of the brain. That, they are saying, gives them access to more telling, high-frequency waves that say much more about cognitive intentions. Eventually, the themes moved the cursors by thinking such a sounds: “ee,” “ah,” “oo,” and “eh.” Brain-computer interfaces ain’t new, obviously, however the scientists say the themes with electrode implants had more success than people wearing electrode-studded EEG caps, which may translate to less frustration for folks with severe disabilities.

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This post is tagged: computer interfaces, frequency waves, invasive approach, measure brain activity, university researchers