TORONTO -- In a high-tech variation of "monkey see, monkey do," U.S. researchers have taught two macaques to feed themselves with a human-like robotic arm using only signals from their brains.
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The scientists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine implanted tiny probes in the area of the animals' brains where voluntary movement originates as electrical impulses. Specially designed computer software then transmits these impulses to the robotic arm, which carries out the actions the monkey intended to perform with its own limb.
Monkey, right, fetches treat by using electrodes in its brain to control a robotic arm.
Using this "brain-machine interface," the monkeys are able to direct the robotic arm and open and close a two-finger gripper to feed themselves marshmallows and chunks of fruit while their own arms are gently restrained in tube-like devices.
The technological advance lays the groundwork for development of prosthetics for people with spinal cord injuries and physically "locked-in" diseases like Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), say the researchers, whose work was published online Wednesday in the journal Nature.
"Our immediate goal is to make a prosthetic device for people with total paralysis," said senior author Andrew Schwartz, a professor of neurobiology. "Ultimately, our goal is to better understand brain complexity."
"The more we understand about the brain, the better we'll be able to treat a wide range of brain disorders, everything from Parkinson's disease and paralysis to, eventually, Alzheimer's disease and perhaps even mental illness."
The macaques first learned to manoeuvre the robotic arm to deliver tasty treats into their mouths using a joystick, then moved on to hands-free control using brain signals alone.
John Kalaska, a professor of physiology at the Universite de Montreal, said in an accompanying commentary that the long-term reliability of the implantable electrodes must be improved. With current technology, the quality of recorded neural activity often deteriorates within weeks or months.
The devices also must be made more portable: Experimental models involve a large array of hardware that requires constant attention from a skilled technician, he said.
-- The Canadian Press
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