Researchers devise neural implant that learns over time

Brain-machine interfaces have done quite a bit in helping handicapped individuals interact with prosthetic limbs, computers and other humans, but a new neural implant concocted at the University of Florida could make all those past devices look archaic. Put simply, researchers have discovered a method that would enable brain-machine interfaces to "adapt to a person's behavior over time and use the knowledge to help complete a task more efficiently." Until now, the brain was the instrument doing all the talking while the computer simply accepted commands; with this method, "the computer could have a say in that conversation, too." In all seriousness, this type of learning mechanism could be game-changing in the world of physical therapy, but we hesitate to give something mechanical inside of our body too much free will, ya dig?

[Via Physorg]

[Flashpoint @ Jun 25th 2008 9:55AM]

I'd be in favor of this if it helped guys score with chicks.

The computer scans the woman's body expressions and then automatically activates your vocal chords to say the most likely thing to peak the woman's interests.

"would you by any chance be a fan of Aurora Monticello's works?"

WHY YES I AM...YOU LOVE MONTICELLO TOO? LETS GO HAVE SOME SEX.

[Tom Hail @ Jun 25th 2008 9:58AM]

I was going to comment on this article, but my brain implant is not working.

[kal326 @ Jun 25th 2008 10:00AM]

Well doesn't this introduce a slippery slope? Human automation, now just think of what happens when the thing goes haywire or better yet somebody figures out a way to hack into it. I can see it now, somebody is going to use the defense of, "I didn't do it, my neural implant controlled prosthetic did!"

[Ace b @ Jun 25th 2008 12:11PM]

Kinda reminds ya off spiderman 2 with Doc Oct...without all the dashboard confessional emoness.

[kempcross @ Jun 25th 2008 12:23PM]

"When I came home, there was a man in my house. I fought with this man. He had a neural implant controlled mechanical arm. You find this man. You find this man."

[Ian @ Jun 25th 2008 1:09PM]

your saying a one armed man broke into your house and killed your wife? RRRRRIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTT :)

[retinaburn @ Jun 25th 2008 10:01AM]

Dr. Octopus?

[k @ Jun 25th 2008 10:13AM]

how true

[Eric M. @ Jun 25th 2008 10:15AM]

Nice, school will be a breeze when you can tell your brain to access the internet and tell you the answers!

[Scot @ Jun 25th 2008 10:51AM]

Wouldn't that be a kick, having this and STILL going to school!

[S-Fin @ Jun 26th 2008 4:24AM]

Nah, you'd get caught when all your nouns are blue and underlined.

[kris @ Jun 25th 2008 10:55AM]

Yar clothes. Gieb them to me. NOW.

[Wicker24 @ Jun 25th 2008 12:48PM]

I see what you did there!

[Chesbro @ Jun 25th 2008 11:40AM]

"My CPU is a neural net processor, a learning computer. The more contact I have with humans, the more I learn."

[Harry Wagstaff @ Jun 25th 2008 3:42PM]

I don't think I'd learn much, if that was the case.

[Shane @ Jun 25th 2008 11:40AM]

Living forever or for a really long time would be awesome.

[billy @ Jun 25th 2008 12:08PM]

Do I get paid more?

[Gert @ Jun 25th 2008 12:23PM]

Some parasites do the same to humans or animals, they change the behaviour, but only to their profit.

I do not want that shit in my brain. My brain is a chemical and eletrical controlling organ. I like the way i am, even with my flaws. I hope braintech only gets implemented for example hibernation. It would be usefull for astronauts.

And than again think about the impact all this tech will have on humans.
They wil become even more depening on tech.
The social structure would be disturbed because people wil live way longer.
All this could tear humans society apart, certainly at the level we are at now.

Its the same with weapons, the weapons are good, but the humans are way not ready.

[DespoticWolf @ Jun 25th 2008 12:38PM]

humans have to take a chance and adopt technology into our lives or else we could only advance so little.... by some mistakes we make, if we are smart enough, we will correct and prevent future problems and advance further

[Josh @ Jun 25th 2008 12:24PM]

This is a nice improvement, not only for medicine but it's another step towards building a smarter robot that uses A.I. more, well, intelligently.

The advances in robotics are quite impressive this days - from dancing, voice-recognition, playing air hockey, etc. Here's an article about "downloading robot personalities" that I found interesting: http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=526&doc_id=155718&f_src=flffour

[Phil Downey @ Jun 25th 2008 12:59PM]

Ghost in the Shell anyone? The difference between this and a "cyber-brain" is just out of out reach.

So clearly we need personal firewalls in our heads along with these implants.

[courtnayvw @ Jun 25th 2008 12:59PM]

I hope you all never lose the ability to move a limb. This is exciting news for those of us down to 1 hand because of a neuroogical event.

Slippery slope? Yes. Reminiscent of the Terminator? Definitely. Exciting? Undoubtedly.

[michas_pi @ Jun 25th 2008 1:06PM]

My brain: a 486DX2.

This thing: a 487.

My new ability: I can do spreadsheets a little faster.

[Nazul @ Jun 25th 2008 1:22PM]

Me: Hal, open the air lock!
Hal: Part of me wants to. I'm confused.

[Tim @ Jun 25th 2008 1:25PM]

This is very interesting - the backbone of this has existed for ages now (it screams of edelman's darwin 3) But what is incredible is that neural networking is not only taking place on a chip (which has been done) but in conjunction with physiological feedback; mirroring the anatomical process. what would be truly amazing is if it determines accuracy of movement by touch/ propaception (sp?) nerves of the limb itself. Imagine two "neural network hubs" that were installed in the motor cortex and the spinal cord (below the point of SCI) That searched out connections to as many dendrites as possible and formed links to monitor synapse firings. Drop the patient in the pool, and map first which neurons fire thinking of a movement, then test every connection on the Cords controller, mapping the results. Then a patient would have muscle control. Then, provide stimulus to every region below the cord's implant, and map that as well, and the final step would be to test the reentrant signals back into the brain; this would be the "hardest" as it could/ would cause phantom pains while mapping. then allow the patient to try to move everything, while letting the circuitry's algorithm further refine control. Obviously we have a long way to go before we reach this step, but progress is always nice to see.

[Danakin @ Jun 25th 2008 1:43PM]

what's wrong with your brain being the only thing in control, it works well enough for the rest of us...why do impared people think they deserve something more?

[Chris Derry @ Jun 25th 2008 2:03PM]

"...three rats were taught to move a robotic arm toward a target with just their thoughts. Each time they succeeded, the rats were rewarded with a drop of water."

Lucky rats!

[Cray @ Jun 25th 2008 9:00PM]

This is all very exciting, I can't wait until this is applied to those that are in the need. This is why I love technology.

[tekdemon @ Jun 26th 2008 2:07AM]

I can't wait...finally we can be Borg. Seriously though I don't see anything wrong with this...our evolution is largely out of the hands of normal natural selection anyway thanks to medicine and all the machines we use everyday (cars, computers, etc.) so taking that last step and integrating is pretty natural.

Personally I do not look forward to my mental decline as I age and wouldn't mind a sweet neural implant that'll keep me sharp. And heck, if these implants get good enough and the line between where I end and the computer begins completely blurs...then it'll just be that much more awesome, because when my biological brain kicks the bucket the electronic side will have learned everything the biological part had...granting me some sort of bizarre and creepy electronic immortality.