From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Wed Aug 25 1999 - 11:58:47 MDT
"Bryan Moss" <bryan.moss@dial.pipex.com> writes:
> Question: Can any neuroscience people comment on what would be involved in
> wiring amputees to computers and allowing them to control virtual arms
> and/or legs? Would this be easier to do to an amputee than a non-amputee?
Currently most work is being done using electromyograms,
i.e. measuring electrical activity in muscles elsewhere and using it
to control the prosthesis. There are prosthetics that actually try to
measure signals in the nerves or cortex, but as far as I know they are
highly experimental at this point. Advances in brain-computer
interfaces seem to be moving quite quickly right now, with people
making better biocompatible surfaces, adding nerve growth factors,
getting neurons to grow through dies etc. At present, I think the
level is roughly controlling the grip or gross movements using neural
input.
Overall, amputees are more likely to participate in invasive studies
than non-amputees, they have more to gain and less to lose. Although
in my experience amputees and other handicapped people are less likely
to accept everything the doctor says unquestioningly...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
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