An implant to connect the brain to a computer. Free Technical Library News

NEWS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, NOVELTY IN ELECTRONICS
Free technical library / timeline

An implant to connect the brain to a computer

02.08.2020

A team of researchers from the University of Michigan has developed a new very low power brain implant. Scientists say that their design is up to 90% more energy efficient than similar ones. The specialists managed not only to reduce the requirements for the power supply of the implant, they made it very accurate in calculating the electrical signals of the brain transmitted by neurons.

The discovery could lead to long-term brain implants that could be used to treat neurological diseases, control artificial robotic limbs and other electronics.

According to experts from the University of Michigan, today, a computer, usually larger than a person, is required to accurately interpret brain signals and use them. This machine consumes a lot of electricity. Lowering the power supply requirements "by an order of magnitude" will open the door to the development of compact brain-machine interfaces.

To be able to predict complex motor functions based on neural activity, for example, picking up an object with a hand, special transcutaneous electrodes are now used. They act as a direct data transmission channel between the brain and the computer. According to scientists, 100 such channels may be required for effective operation. At the same time, they should be able to transmit up to 20 thousand electrical signals of the brain per second. Compliance with these conditions can return to a person the ability to control his paralyzed hand or even, for example, feel through an artificial implant how soft or hard the object he is holding is.

The problem is that this approach is unsafe because it comes with risks of infection when the electrodes are integrated into the brain. Also, it's not very practical outside of research labs. Fortunately, science does not stand still, and scientists have already developed wireless implants based on integrated circuits that can read and transmit about 16 electrical brain signals per second. But this is below the required threshold of the required efficiency.

The advantage of the University of Michigan researchers' development is that their technology is able to compress the signals transmitted by the brain. The scientists focused their attention on the peak signals of neurons crossing a certain power threshold. This made it possible to reduce the amount of data that the computer needs to process and at the same time predict the next firing of neurons.

Experiments have shown that compared to percutaneous implants, the new system has exactly the same level of accuracy, but it requires only 1/10 of the total volume of electrical signals to be processed. In other words, by processing just 2000 brain signals, the researchers were able to achieve the same accuracy as processing 20 signals. Scientists are confident that this discovery will one day change medicine.

<< Back: Sunscreen for astronauts 03.08.2020

>> Forward: Laughter helps fight stress 02.08.2020

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven 09.05.2024

Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>

Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5 09.05.2024

Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>

Energy from space for Starship 08.05.2024

Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>

New method for creating powerful batteries 08.05.2024

With the development of technology and the expanding use of electronics, the issue of creating efficient and safe energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Researchers at the University of Queensland have unveiled a new approach to creating high-power zinc-based batteries that could change the landscape of the energy industry. One of the main problems with traditional water-based rechargeable batteries was their low voltage, which limited their use in modern devices. But thanks to a new method developed by scientists, this drawback has been successfully overcome. As part of their research, scientists turned to a special organic compound - catechol. It turned out to be an important component that can improve battery stability and increase its efficiency. This approach has led to a significant increase in the voltage of zinc-ion batteries, making them more competitive. According to scientists, such batteries have several advantages. They have b ... >>

Alcohol content of warm beer 07.05.2024

Beer, as one of the most common alcoholic drinks, has its own unique taste, which can change depending on the temperature of consumption. A new study by an international team of scientists has found that beer temperature has a significant impact on the perception of alcoholic taste. The study, led by materials scientist Lei Jiang, found that at different temperatures, ethanol and water molecules form different types of clusters, which affects the perception of alcoholic taste. At low temperatures, more pyramid-like clusters form, which reduces the pungency of the "ethanol" taste and makes the drink taste less alcoholic. On the contrary, as the temperature increases, the clusters become more chain-like, resulting in a more pronounced alcoholic taste. This explains why the taste of some alcoholic drinks, such as baijiu, can change depending on temperature. The data obtained opens up new prospects for beverage manufacturers, ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Summit's fastest supercomputer in the world 13.06.2018

Since 2013, the fastest computer in the world has belonged to China, in 2016 the palm passed to Switzerland, and now the United States has taken over.

Summit is located at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is capable of about 200 quadrillion calculations per second, which is a million times faster than your average home computer and twice as fast as the previous record holder in this area. It employs about 37000 processors and occupies the area of two tennis courts.

But the most interesting thing about Summit is the purpose of its creation. The computer is specifically aimed at the functioning of artificial intelligence, it has 28000 GPUs optimized for machine learning algorithms.

With the capabilities that Summit offers, researchers can apply machine learning to problems in astronomy, chemistry, and biology. For example, Summit can analyze images from telescopes to search for objects on demand, or analyze complex DNA to recognize the structure of proteins.

Moreover, the goal of the United States, China and several EU countries is to create a computer capable of performing one quintillion calculations per second, that is, it should be five times more powerful than Summit. In the United States, such hopes are placed on the Aurora computer, which is scheduled to be completed in 2021.

See full Archive of science and technology news, new electronics

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews