Via KurzweilAI.net:
Cyberkinetics Inc. is about to ask federal regulators for permission to start testing its BrainGate device, which would enable paralyzed people to control computers directly with their brains or possibly help them move their limbs.
I hope they can pull this off. The quality-of-life implications for victims of paralysis are enormous.
Plus, this research on behalf of the paralyzed will eventually lead to major technological benefits for all. A direct brain-to-computer interface may sound a little scary, but it's coming. Once we have them, we won't be able to imagine how we ever got anything done with these clunky keyboard and mouse interfaces.
But this is probably a long way off. Currently, even speech-recognition technology is clunky. I would guess that thought-recognition will be quite a bit harder to get right.
Posted by Phil at November 7, 2003 06:57 AM | TrackBack