A team of researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows paralyzed people to speak through a digital avatar.
The BCI works by decoding brain signals from the motor cortex, the area of the brain responsible for controlling movement. The signals are then converted into speech or facial expressions.
In the study, the researchers implanted a BCI in a woman who had been paralyzed from the neck down due to a brainstem stroke. The woman was able to use the BCI to speak through a digital avatar that looked like her. She was also able to use it to control a computer cursor and type text.
The researchers say that the BCI is a significant breakthrough in the field of BCI research. It has the potential to revolutionize the way that paralyzed people communicate and interact with the world around them.
The researchers are now working to improve the BCI so that it can be used by a wider range of people. They are also working to make the BCI wireless so that users do not have to be physically connected to it.
The development of this BCI is a major step forward in the field of assistive technology. It has the potential to give paralyzed people a new way to communicate and interact with the world around them. This could have a profound impact on their quality of life.
KEY POINTS
The BCI is a small, implantable device that records brain signals from the motor cortex.
The signals are then decoded by a computer and used to control the digital avatar.
The avatar can be customized to look like the user or to represent a character or object.
The BCI is still in the early stages of development, but it has the potential to be a powerful tool for communication and rehabilitation for paralyzed individuals.
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