Paralyzed Man Uses Wireless Brain-Computer Interface to Type at 90 WPM
Scientists have achieved a significant milestone in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. For the first time, a human has used a wireless intracortical BCI to transmit neural data at full bandwidth, enabling rapid text creation.
The groundbreaking research, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the NIH BRAIN Initiative, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, was conducted in collaboration with the latter institution. The participant, Frank, who is paralyzed from the neck down, had two tiny electrodes implanted in his brain, specifically in the region associated with right arm and hand movement.
Frank was able to create text at an astonishing rate of 90 characters per minute by simply imagining handwriting movements. A sophisticated machine learning algorithm decoded these brain signals, translating them into text on a screen. Remarkably, Frank could copy sentences and answer questions at a speed comparable to using a speedtest or textnow app on a smartphone. This is a significant leap forward from previous BrainGate collaborations, which have enabled multidimensional robotic prosthetic operation and direct control of tablet apps.
This latest advance, the first human use of a wireless intracortical BCI transmitting neural data at full bandwidth, opens up new possibilities for people with paralysis and other neurological disorders. The ability to create text at such speeds by merely thinking about handwriting movements brings us closer to a future where communication barriers can be overcome through advanced brain-computer interfaces.
