While exploring a digitally represented object through artificially created sense of touch, brain-computer interface users described the warm fur of a purring cat, the smooth rigid surface of a door key and cool roundness of an apple.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists are one step closer to developing a brain-computer interface, or BCI, that allows people with tetraplegia to restore their lost sense of touch.
A brain-computer interface is a system that converts brain activity into signals that could replace, restore or improve body functions that are typically controlled by the brain, such as muscle movement. A BCI can also be used to repair damaged feedback from the body and restore lost sensations by directly stimulating the brain.
All three study participants described objects in rich and vivid terms that made logical sense but were also unique and subjective: to one participant, a cat felt warm and"tappy;" to another -- smooth and silky. The study represents an important step towards invoking accurate sensation of touch on a person's paralyzed hand and creating an artificial limb that seamlessly integrates into a person's unique sensory world.
Perception Numeracy Robotics Research Engineering Medical Technology Neural Interfaces Artificial Intelligence Robotics
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Artificial skin from hydrogels | ScienceDailyGrowing cells in the laboratory is an art that humans have mastered decades ago. Recreating entire three-dimensional tissues is much more challenging.
Read more »
Global EV adoption fails to cut CO2 | ScienceDailyThe transition to electric vehicles won't reduce carbon emissions unless countries clean up their electricity grids.
Read more »
Southern shrews shrink in winter | ScienceDailyNewly published research shows that the masked shrew, a small, mole-like mammal found in the Appalachian Mountains, shrinks its body and braincase to conserve energy during winter months.
Read more »
Is my green your green? | ScienceDaily'Do we see colors the same way?' is a fundamentally human question and one of great importance in research into the human mind. While impossible to answer at present, researchers take steps to answering it using a method that can map the experiences of colors between individuals, including those with colorblindness.
Read more »
Secret to crocodylian longevity | ScienceDailyResearchers examined teeth and skulls of 99 extinct crocodylomorph species and 20 living crocodylian species to reconstruct their dietary ecology and identify characteristics that helped some groups persist through two mass extinctions.
Read more »
New giant virus isolated | ScienceDailyResearchers have isolated a giant virus, which was named Jyvaskylavirus. The discovery shows that giant viruses are more common in northern regions than researchers have thought. It also illustrates that there are still many structures whose origins and functions have not been properly studied.
Read more »