Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have made a groundbreaking advancement in Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) technology. They've developed Functional Ultrasound (fUS), a method that enables precise control over electronic devices by interpreting brain activity, marking a significant stride toward mind-machine control with minimal invasion.
BMIs, which decode brain activity to control devices like computer cursors or prosthetic limbs, often require invasive procedures involving electrode installation to measure cerebral activity. However, in 2021, Caltech researchers pioneered fUS, a far less invasive method to read brain activity.
This fUS technology, as per recent studies, lays the groundwork for an "online" BMI. This innovative BMI reads brain activity, utilizes machine learning-programmed decoders to interpret it, and then operates a computer to predict movement accurately and swiftly.
The research, led by Mikhail Shapiro and Richard Andersen from Caltech, collaborated with Mickael Tanter, the director of medical physics at INSERM in Paris, France. This breakthrough holds promise for empowering paralyzed individuals to control prosthetic limbs using their thoughts, opening new avenues in less invasive mind-machine control technology.
