Researchers have devised a way that could impact the lives of people who are paralyzed from the neck down. In an amazing breakthrough, a new electrode array system called BrainGate2 allows those people who have a neurological disease or are injured and can’t use their body parts to communicate with others through unmodified computer tablets.
The system basically consists of an array of micro-electrodes which are implanted on the brain, and decode the neural-signals with the intention to move a limb. An experiment was conducted where three people were paralyzed from the neck-down and were able to text their friends, browse the Internet and Stream music with the help of BrainGate2. This system first identifies the intentions of the user and then moves a virtual mouse which is wirelessly paired to a tablet.
It should be noted that this technology has already been in use for a while now, scientists have been using brain-technology interface for some years now but what’s special about BrainGate2 is that it actually lets users navigate through the system, with some tweaks and updates the system could be made even more accessible and friendly to use for people with disabilities. If this turns out to be successful at a broader level then this could become a huge success in the medical field. It can help overcome certain disabilities of people with complete or partial paralysis, and thus would have a huge impact on the lives of many people around the world.
