Researchers Decode Full Words from Brain Activity [VIDEO]
"Honey, what's on your mind?" might become a moot question.
In a breakthrough that was outlined in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers have decoded words and full sentences from brain activity.
The researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (with help from Facebook) were able to decipher brain waves after they placed receptors on the brain in the area that is responsible for generating speech.
This breakthrough gives new hope to those who have lost the ability to speak due to injury or paralysis.
The video explains that the participant in the study was shown a question on a computer screen. The participant (who is unable to speak because of paralysis) then tried to answer the question. Because of his paralysis, he couldn't speak, but the sensors on his brain sent the brain signals to the computer and, within seconds, the computer screen displayed his answer to the question.
This brain/computer interface could open a whole new line of communication for countless people across the globe who are unable to speak due to injury, illness, and/or paralysis.
Though promising, there is still a long way to go. The accuracy of the interface is estimated at 93%, which is fantastic, but the "translation" rate is only 18 words per minute.
To a parent, spouse, sibling, or friend, I am sure that reading those 18 words per minute from a loved one who has been unable to speak would mean the world.
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