Robot Hand Controlled by Thought Alone
From: New Scientist Tech - 05/26/2006
By: Will Knight

Researchers in Japan have used a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
technique to control a robotic hand through the power of thought. Yukiyasu
Kamitani and colleagues at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in
Kyoto were assisted by researchers at the Honda Research Institute in Saitama
in developing the fMRI scanning technology. In a demonstration, the
researchers had a subject lay inside an MRI scanner, then make "rock, paper,
scissor" shapes with a hand. The MRI scanner recorded brain activity as the
subject made the movements with her hand, and delivered the data to a
connected computer. A brief training period ensued before the computer made
the connection between brain activity and the corresponding shape, and then
commanded the robotic hand to mimic the rock, paper, and scissor hand
movements. The real-time fMRI on brain activity is considered a breakthrough
in research into prosthetics and the operation of computers using the power
of thought. Although Klaus-Robert Mueller, a researcher at the Fraunhofer
Institute in Germany, has some concerns about the cost and complexity of the
system, he says it produces higher resolution. "We will need several
breakthroughs in related technologies, including those for brain scanning
hardware, before this type of non-invasive systems will be used in daily
life," says Kamitani. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn9237-robot-hand-controlled-by-thought-alone.html

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Brain-Robot Interface
From: NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 06/06/2006

Honda Motor Co. and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories (Tokyo,
Japan) have developed a brain-machine interface (BMI) that uses brain signals
to control robotic movement. Unlike past experiments that used surgically
implanted electrode arrays or specially trained users, the new technology
uses an MRI. When a user moves his fingers, the MRI detects the magnetic
imprint of the pertinent brain activity. The neurally decoded commands are
then relayed as instructions to a robotic hand. 

Scientists are quick to point out that only the simplest of movements can be
robotically mimicked, and there is a lag of seven seconds between user and
robot. Nevertheless, the BMI researchers succeeded in gaining a neural
decoding accuracy of 85%. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.cns.atr.jp/News/20060526honda_atrE.html

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Links:
Yukiyasu Kamitani, PhD
http://www.cns.atr.jp/~kmtn/

Researchers Develop Brain-Robot Interface
http://cognews.com/1148844253/

Honda says brain waves control robot
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12969307/

Honda Invents Brain-Robot Interface
http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=121000034XQB

Robot Interfaces with Brain
http://www.techweb.com/wire/networking/188500338
http://www.ddj.com/dept/ai/188500545

Honda devises way for brain signals to control robot
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/robotics/2006-05-24-robot-brain_x.htm

Honda Says Brain Waves Control Robot
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/24/AR2006052402279.html

Researchers Demo New Robot-Human Interface 
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=188500468

Brain Waves Make Robot Move
http://www.wired.com/news/wireservice/0,70982-0.html?tw=rss.index

Klaus-Robert Mueller
http://ida.first.fraunhofer.de/~klaus/
http://canberra06.mlss.cc/?q=user/view/234

An interface between brain and computer
http://ida.first.fhg.de/projects/bci/bbci_official/index_en.html

Brain-controlled device could help the disabled
http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx?area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/&articleid=265991

Thoughts Trigger Mental Typewriter
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060417/mentaltyping_tec.html

