

Monkeys Adapt Robot Arm as Their Own 61
FiReaNGeL writes "Neurobiologists from the Duke University Medical Center are training monkeys to use their brain signals to control a robotic arm; but they are not just learning to manipulate an external device. Rather, "their brain structures are adapting to treat the arm as if it were their own appendage", via a brain-implanted chip. "The finding has profound implications both for understanding the extraordinary adaptability of the primate brain and for the potential clinical success of brain-operated devices to give the handicapped the ability to control their environment", said the researchers. Read the story here with full details."
Someone's gotta say it... (Score:5, Funny)
I for one welcome our new bionic simian overlords.
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:1)
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:1)
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:2)
Re:Someone's gotta say it... (Score:2)
Great, just what we need... (Score:5, Funny)
You'll have to pry this banana... (Score:1)
-CH
I wonder.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I wonder.... (Score:5, Funny)
They tried working with two male monkeys, but they just kept using the robotic arms for arm wrestling, fighting over the remote, and scratching their furry little asses.
^_^
Re:I wonder.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I wonder.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I wonder.... (Score:2)
Now, when they invent a robotic politician^Wasshole to go along with it, then we're in trouble.
(Obligatory Robotic Al Gore reference has been intentionally left from this post, with the exception of it's appearance in this discla... ah, dammit!)
Re:I wonder.... (Score:2)
No news (Score:1)
Still... I want to have a cybernetic arm, or eight..., please.
Cool! (Score:2)
Just wait until we plug into mechs with this technology. Sweet.
Mechs (Score:1)
Repeat (Score:3, Informative)
It's a funding-by-media trick -- it generates buzz, but they've got a switch which moves an arm, and a single neuron controlling the on off. From down, to up. No control. You could also say "Monkey uses mind to start a car!" using the same single neuron to control a remote starter. Or "monkey controls gun!" by putting a solenoid on a trigger. Both would play well, but then you wouldn't get that nice picture of an arm moving.
There's no real science, here, just an application of 30 year old-tech.
Disclaimer: I'm basing this on my general distrust and what I am NOT seeing written here.
Re:Repeat (Score:2, Insightful)
I think that while this research has been ongoing for some time, the article is highlighting a new interpretation -- that our brains control external "peripherals" (tools, tennis rackets) the same way they control built-in "peripherals" (hands, arms...), and can switch "drivers" on the fly...
FTA:
"This finding supports our theory that the brain has extraordinary abilities to adapt to incorporate artificial tools, whether directly controlled by the brain or through the appendages" said Nicolelis. "Our brain
Re:Repeat (Score:2, Informative)
While it is good to be suspicious of flashy results, you're incorrect in this case. The monkeys achieved two degree-of-freedom control over the velocity of the actuator using a population of their neurons. And another study has demonstrated three degree-of-freedom control in a similar preparation. This is far from a one-bit switch.
Re:Repeat (Score:2)
Re:Repeat (Score:4, Interesting)
Or, personally more interesting to me, it could be used as a very high-bandwidth connection between a computer and me. (Which could be general enough to allow me to control a robotic limb, or even robotic body, just as I control a video-game character, only better (as I could give more fine-grained input faster and more naturally.)
Re:Repeat (Score:4, Informative)
more interesting to me, it could be used as a very high-bandwidth connection between a computer and me.
This has already been done several times, both at a low-bandwidth level (electrodes on the skull, done several years ago), and a high-bandwidth level (implanting an electrode directly in the neocortex, done in 2000)
If you're interested in this stuff, you should check out this journal article - PDF Reprint [berkeley.edu]
Kennedy PR, Bakay RAE, Moore MM, Adams K, Goldwaithe J. 2000. Direct control of a computer from the human central nervous system. IEEE Trans. Rehabil. Eng. 8:198-202
Here's the abstract, if you don't want to wade through the PDF:
We describe an invasive alternative to externally applied brain-computer interface (BCI) devices. This system requires implantation of a special electrode into the outer layers of the human neocortex. The recorded signals are transmitted to a nearby receiver and processed to drive a cursor on a computer monitor in front of the patient. Our present patient has learned to control the cursor for the production of synthetic speech and typing.
Re:Repeat (Score:5, Interesting)
The scientists next removed the joystick, after which the monkeys continued to move their arms in mid-air to manipulate and "grab" the cursor, thus controlling the robot arm. However, after a few days, the monkeys realized that they did not need to move their own arms. Their arm muscles went completely quiet, they kept the arm at their side, and they controlled the robot using only their brain and visual feedback.
Does that sound like an on/off switch to you? You must have some freakin' awesome lights.
"Mikhail's analysis of the brain signals associated with use of the robotic and animals' actual arms revealed that the animal was simultaneously doing one thing with its own arm and something else with the robotic arm," he said. "So, our hypothesis is that the adaptation of brain structures allows the expansion of capability to use an artificial appendage with no loss of function, because the animal can flip back and forth between using the two. Depending on the goal, the animal could use its own arm or the robotic arm, and in some cases both.
Do you have any glimmering of how mind-bogglingly revolutionary this is? Can you think of any real world applications? No? Then there's even MORE.
Such feedback would greatly enhance people's ability to learn and use the devices, said Nicolelis. Also, such feedback would expand use of neuroprosthetics to amputees, because the devices would include all the features -- including feedback -- of real appendages.
Goodbye loss of hand, hello Luke Skywalker robot arm! Or robotic surgery where surgeons could actually feel what their scapels are cutting. Or soldiers mentally controlling battle droids. Get the toughness of metal with the adaptability of the human mind! Or don't just drive, plug in and really feel the car operate. You could get neurological feedback on any problems the car might be developing. Or just use the interface to get awesome control.
They have ****** shown that the mind can incorporate a robotic appendage and use it in addition to the ones we already have! How is this not groundbreaking research in psychology, physics, biology, etc? Even Philosophy! What does it mean that our sense of self is so easily extended?
Good Stuff (Score:2)
It's rare that there actually IS Buck Rogers in there. Thanks for the Duke Med News pointer.
Re:Repeat (Score:2)
I hope not (Score:2)
I for one do not like the idea of getting electrodes implanted in my brain just to drive a car!
We already have a g
Re:I hope not (Score:2)
No, that's not a "good interface". It may be the best we can do at this time, but it definitely isn't a very good interface.
For starters, drivers don't have individual control of every wheel, so there's need for all kinds of electronic assitants (ABS, EBD, DSC, ESP, ASR, pick your three letter acronym) to do that for you when such control is useful. And an important reason for not having all wheels turning in productio
Re:Repeat (Score:1)
Could it be an abitrarily-shaped body (number of eyes, wings vs. arms, etc.), or is there something "built in" to our brains that it works only (or at least best) with the 4 limbs/1 head setup? (I realize not all life forms have this setup, but could a brain that has evolved to work with a certain setup learn to work with another setup?)
Aside fro
Re:Repeat (Score:2)
Really. That's [pitt.edu] not what it looks like to me.
Always in terms of the "disabled" (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Always in terms of the "disabled" (Score:3, Insightful)
True (Score:1)
Re:Always in terms of the "disabled" (Score:1)
To use your analogy (Score:2)
Eva! (Score:1)
I'm going to get a mind-piloted Evangelion someday!
Re:Eva! (Score:2)
No you're not. You're too old. Some irritating teenager's going to get a mind-piloted Evangelion and won't even appreciate it. The best you can hope for is to be one of those guys in Central Dogma whose job it is to look terribly shocked whenever a new and more powerful monster turns up to whack the crap out of Tokyo-3.
But, then again... you get to hang around with Maya and she's pretty cool and I don't believe any of the rumours about her at all. And
Transhuman Leap (Score:2)
Re:Transhuman Leap (Score:2)
I for one... (Score:1, Redundant)
Hah... (Score:1)
Don't just drive the car (Score:1)
Re:Don't just drive the car (Score:2)
Re:Don't just drive the car (Score:1)
Re:Don't just drive the car (Score:2)
But many people already feel that they are at one with their tools. Similarly, people with prosthetic limbs can sometimes feel that they really are their limbs. There are many factors that go into defining your body image, getting feedback is just one of them. In some cases you can feel that your own limb isn't part of your body even though it clearly is (eg. see various books by Oliver Sacks). I've already had one (neurally unmodified) frien
Source Article [PDF Reprint] (Score:2, Informative)
For those interested, a much more informative description of Schwartz et. al.'s research can be found at his lab paper reprint section [pitt.edu] (click on on the second title from the top - "Schwartz, A.B.: Cortical neural prostheses, Ann. Rev. Neurosci. 27:487-507, 2004.")
Just to give my two cents, this is cool stuff, but it's not that big of a deal when compared with prior research:
"Investigators have demonstrated the potential of this technology in humans patients with the cone electrode (Kennedy et al. 2000)
Re:In Soviet Russia, (Score:1)
Here monkey monkey!!! (Score:2)
great... (Score:1)
atrophy (Score:2, Interesting)