Patients with temporary surgical implant able to control computers by thoughts
US researchers over at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have laid claim that patients who had a temporary surgical implant, are able to make use of regions in the brain which control speech to "talk" to a computer.
This unique implant enables patients to move a cursor around the computer screen through the power of thought, although making a particular sound will work as well if that's your cup of tea.
According to researcher Eric C. Leuthardt, "There are many directions we could take this, including development of technology to restore communication for patients who have lost speech due to brain injury or damage to their vocal cords or airway," according to .
"We want to see if we can not just detect when you're saying dog, tree, tool or some other word, but also learn what the pure idea of that looks like in your mind," says Dr Leuthardt.
"It's exciting and a little scary to think of reading minds, but it has incredible potential for people who can't communicate or are suffering from other disabilities," according to .
