BrainGate Neural Interface System

BrainGate Neural Interface System — the brain computer interface developed at Stanford University allowing to communicate sick paralysis by text typing on the screen by means of brain activity.

2017: Record speed of text typing of patients with paralysis

In February, 2017 scientists of Stanford University announced successful tests of a brain implant of BrainGate Neural Interface System. One of patients learned to type by means of this neurointerface the text with a record speed.

A system assumes implantation about 100 smallest electrodes near neurons of the sections of a brain which are responsible for traffic control of hands. Electronics processes signals from these neurons using an algorithm and transfers on a cable to the computer with the input device. For text typing the person with an electrode needs to provide as it moves a hand, pressing the virtual button with a letter on the screen.

Functioning of BrainGate Neural Interface System was tested for three seriously ill by paralysis. Two of them could type the text with a speed of 6.3 and 2.3 words a minute, and the third — Dennis Degray — achieved the speed of nearly 8 words in a minute that is three times more than the record set earlier by means of the similar systems. Researchers note that adding of functions of automatic input and correction of words can accelerate text typing and will allow to gather sick paralysis speed, close to that with which healthy people print characters on the screen of the mobile phone.

According to scientists, they took only the first step on the way to creation of the means of communication for patients with paralysis. It is expected that in five years there will be systems which will help people with violations of movements and control of body provision intelligibly to express the thoughts.^[1]

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