INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

Scientists have enabled a paralysed man to grasp, move and drop objects just by using his thoughts.

Researchers in San Francisco developed a robot arm that receives signals from the brain to a computer, allowing a man who could not speak or move to interact with objects.

The device, known as a brain-computer interface, worked for a record seven months without needing to be adjusted. Previous attempts of using such a device have only worked for a day or two.

It works by using AI that adjusts to the small changes that happen when a person repeats a movement — or in this case, simply imagines a movement — and then learns to do it in a more refined way.

“This blending of learning between humans and AI is the next phase for these brain-computer interfaces,” said Professor of Neurology Karunesh Ganguly. “It’s what we need to achieve sophisticated, life-like function,” he added.

As part of the study published in the journal Cell, the participant had tiny sensors implanted on the surface of his brain that could pick up brain activity when he simply thought about moving.

Researchers Professor Ganguly and Neurology researcher Nikhilesh Natraj previously discovered that patterns of brain activity in animals represent specific movements, and saw these patterns changed day-to-day as the animal learned.