Many players are laying out, and the diverse brain computer interfaces are becoming increasingly pop

2024-02-29

Reading brain memories and using thoughts to control objects... Once only a scene from science fiction movies, it is gradually becoming a reality.

Recently, according to Beijing Youth Daily, Xi'an Jiaotong University Second Affiliated Hospital, in collaboration with Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Mechanical Engineering, used a brain computer interface to make a high paraplegic aphasia patient say "hello". The reporter stated that the patient had a high level spinal cord injury and could only communicate with people through blinking. However, with the use of brain computer interface technology, the patient only needs to look at the computer screen to "express" their thoughts, making communication more accurate and efficient.

So, what kind of saint is the brain computer interface that has such great efficacy?

Speaking of brain computer interface, it is actually a technology that studies the human brain, creating a new information exchange pathway between the brain and external devices through "brain+machine+interface". On the one hand, it converts brain signals into machine recognizable signals, achieving effective control of the machine; On the other hand, converting external device signals into brain recognizable signals can directly intervene in the brain from the outside. This technology originated in the 1920s.

According to classification, brain computer interfaces can be divided into two types: invasive and non-invasive. The difference between the two, just like the literal meaning, is that invasive methods directly implant electrodes into the cerebral cortex through surgery, while non-invasive methods do not use implantation methods but wear devices. Based on different methods, the resulting effects and impacts will also vary. The former has high signal acquisition quality, but high safety risks and costs; The latter is exactly the opposite.

The value of brain computer interfaces is something that people are concerned about. As mentioned above, brain computer interfaces have shown significant effectiveness in medical applications. On the one hand, it can enhance human brain skills, improve memory, calculation and other mental abilities, and enable people to have stronger mental abilities; On the other hand, it can also target diseases such as ADHD, stroke, epilepsy, and disabled individuals for disease recovery and disability recovery. It has both reinforcement and recovery auxiliary functions.

In addition, brain computer interfaces also have applications in military, education, entertainment and other fields, as well as in intelligent devices such as robots and drones, which can help people easily engage in various work and production. Based on these powerful functions and widespread applications, major countries have already launched brain computer interface competitions, such as the United States spending 4.5 billion to launch the "Brain Plan" project; China has launched the "China Brain Plan" with a budget of 500 million yuan and other initiatives.

Of course, the frontline and intense competition of brain computer interfaces is still the competition between enterprises. Against the backdrop of increasingly mature and frequent attention to brain computer interface technology, many research institutions and enterprises have laid out and developed brain computer interface technology, becoming the main participants in this field. Among them, Facebook has long entered the field of brain computer interfaces through acquisitions, hoping to use brain computer interface technology to help brain patients achieve normal communication and exchange.

In 2019, Facebook announced a new achievement in its brain computer interface - using AR eyes to quickly read words and phrases in the human brain. It is reported that the display of this achievement has a reading accuracy of 61% and 76%, respectively. Although it is far from Facebook's initial goal of decoding 100 words per minute and an error rate of less than 17% per thousand words, it has taken a big step forward for brain computer interface technology.

After Facebook, Musk's Neuralink is also another important participant in the field of brain computer interfaces. Neuralink was founded in 2017, mainly researching and developing brain computer interface technology that implants artificial intelligence into the human cerebral cortex to improve human intelligence levels. Last year, Musk announced that Neuralink had conducted brain control experiments on mice and monkeys with a success rate of 87%, and is expected to conduct human clinical trials as early as this year.

In addition, companies that are deeply involved in the field of brain computer interfaces include Paradimics, Ctrl labs, BrainGate, and so on. Some of them focus on the medical field and are currently in the development stage of brain computer interface technology; Some focus on remote control and have already achieved clinical trials; Some have ventured into the robotics industry and are looking forward to exploring new applications. For players of brain computer interfaces, their gameplay is diverse and their progress varies, but together they ignite the industry's heat and enthusiasm.

However, despite the current popularity of brain computer interfaces, it is not easy to land them in the short term. Because for brain computer interfaces, there are still many technical, ethical, and application environment issues. For example, in terms of technology, brain computer interface design has a wide range of disciplinary knowledge, high technical requirements and complexity; At the same time, in terms of ethics, the end of brain computer interfaces touching human privacy can easily cause ethical issues; In addition, there is also a lack of legal norms and industry standards in application.

In summary, the development of brain computer interfaces is still in its early stages, with a hot trend, numerous participants, diverse gameplay, and significant application value, but at the same time, there are also many limitations. In the future, whether brain computer interfaces can truly enter people's production and life may require bullets to fly for a while.

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