Brain-controlled prosthetic limbs move closer to reality with ‘plug-and-play’ performance

Written by Ebony Torrington (Future Science Group)

Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (CA, USA) used machine-learning techniques to help an individual with tetraplegia control a computer cursor using their brain activity. In this clinical trial they demonstrate the value of ECoG electrode arrays for brain–computer interface (BCI) applications. The results, published in Nature Biotechonology, show huge progress towards creating a brain-controlled prosthetic limb. "The BCI field has made great progress in recent years, but because existing systems have had to be reset and recalibrated each day, they haven't been able to tap into the brain's natural learning processes. It's like asking someone to learn...

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