Paralyzed researchers are testing hardware that allows them to control computers with nothing but their thoughts.
This weekend, on 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley gave a fantastic report about two disabled early adopters who use the nascent technology to communicate.
Scott Mackler, a professor of neuroscience, has Lou Gehrig’s disease, which makes him nearly immobile. To command a computer, he wears a cap that is covered with an array of electrodes. It can pick up faint electrical signals from his brain and relay them to the computer.
By watching a sequence of letters flash on a computer screen, and thinking "That’s it!" when the right one pops up, Mackler can construct sentences. The brain-computer interface has allowed him to continue working, author scientific papers, and even send text messages to his kids.
At one point during the segment, Pelley donned a similar cap while a technician applied conductive goo to the electrodes. On his first try, the reporter was able to use the soggy electrode array to write words on a computer monitor.
Cathy Hutchinson, a stroke survivor, has an array of electrodes implanted directly into the motor area of her brain. She showed Pelley and the 60 Minutes crew that the device allows her to send email, play music, and remotely control an electric wheelchair.
Both Mackler and Hutchinson make brain-computer interfaces seem slow and awkward, but clearly those experimental gadgets have dramatically improved their lives. As neuroscientists learn how to monitor and decode the signals that make up our thoughts, and users offer feedback, the devices will undoubtedly get much faster and more fluid.
Video: CBS
