Most of the actions that a person without such problems performs almost automatically are inaccessible to paralyzed people. Fortunately, technological progress does not stand still. So, in the USA, scientists have developed a device that allows you to type text using … the power of thought.
In the US, scientists have developed a special brain implant that allows you to write text using the power of thought. The effectiveness of the device was proved by a 65-year-old participant in a study conducted at Stanford University.
The man was completely paralyzed in 2007 after a spinal cord injury. But the fact is that any of our actions is first displayed in various think tanks. That is why some athletes train even in the imagination — in this case, it seems to the brain that the muscles really contract, although in reality this does not happen. And even if a person is paralyzed, his brain continues to function.
Neurosurgeon and co-author Jamie Henderson implanted two chips into his brain that read the activity of the neurons that control hand movements. In this way, scientists could read the brain activity associated with written speech. Through this mechanism, a computer developed by researchers at Stanford University reads the thoughts of a paralyzed person and converts them into handwritten text. The study participant imagined which letters he wanted to write, and they were displayed on the device interface.
However, it is not yet possible to communicate freely using such a computer. This technique allows you to mentally type text at a speed of only 90 characters per minute. Nevertheless, this is a major breakthrough in the field of neurocomputer communication.
Each letter evokes a completely unique pattern of brain activity.
“It is very difficult to transcribe spoken language with sufficient accuracy and the right amount of vocabulary so that people can carry on a conversation on general topics. Now we are very glad that we can at least decipher written speech with high accuracy. Each letter evokes a completely unique pattern of brain activity,” explains Professor Willett.
Scientists, in turn, are already striving for new discoveries: a real achievement could be a machine that can decipher our inner speech. That is, a person can only think about what he wants to say, and the computer will convert his thought into words.
There is already a successful example in history when a paralyzed person who lost the ability to even speak was still able to lead a full-fledged social life. Of course, we are talking about the legendary theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. In 1985, while on a trip to Geneva, he contracted pneumonia.
To help the scientist breathe, doctors performed a tracheotomy (made a hole in his neck and placed a tube in his trachea). This saved Hawking, but as a result of the operation, he lost the ability to speak. Then scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a special device for him, which was attached to the bow of his glasses.
This infrared motion sensor was connected to a computer. The system monitored the movement of the mimic muscles of the scientist. With their help, he could select a specific area on the monitor, click on it and type texts, which were then voiced by the computer.