All tagged BCI

Brain Control Interfaces: What Are They?

Science fiction is littered with far-fetched characters like cyborgs, androids, terminators, daleks, and cybermen. These impossible creatures are a blending of man and machine in perfect harmony with things such as cybernetic arms and enhanced intelligence and strength. That future might be here sooner than you think, albeit minus the Hollywood exaggeration of mayhem and destruction (we hope). Brain control interfaces (BCIs) are defined as devices that, “acquire brain signals, analyze them, and translate them into commands that are relayed to output devices that carry out desired actions.” (1) Long story short, BCIs are the key piece of technology that helps man bind to machine. They act as the middleman between your brain and the machine you wish to control. Think of them as a translator. Your brain only speaks in neural impulses, and machines only understand binary. BCIs help convert your neural impulses into binary data and vice versa. These devices have been used for a variety of purposes, ranging from, “complex control of cursors, robotic arms, prostheses, wheelchairs, and other devices.” (1) In recent years, there have been amazing breakthroughs in the development of these BCIs.