Scientists have read the thoughts of a paralyzed man for the first time and have managed to get him to communicate 20 years after a car accident
A scanner able to read thoughts: it may sound like science fiction but it’s an invention that already works and is able to completely transform people’s lives. A paralyzed man, in fact, has succeeded for the first time in communicating a complete sentence simply with brain impulses.
The first complete sentence read directly from the thought
“My family is out here,” said Pancho, the first patient to have experienced the extraordinary technique that allows you to type words using only your thoughts. Left paralyzed at age 20 after a car accident, he hasn’t been able to communicate with anyone since 2003.
The brain scanner was developed by researchers at the University of California, who hope to completely transform the lives of people who can no longer speak.
Dr. David Moses, lead author of the study, explained to the Daily Star, “This is the first time someone trying to communicate has been able to do so using only their thoughts.”
How the brain scanner works and what it can do
For now, the brain scanner’s algorithms can recognize 50 words and convert them into sentences in real time. “We decoded sentences from the participant’s cerebral cortex activity in real time at an average rate of 15.2 words per minute, with a word error rate of 25.6%,” reads the University of California study.
“We detected 98% of the participant’s attempts to produce single words, and classified words with 47.1% accuracy using cortical signals.”
“The technology to restore the ability to communicate in paralyzed people who cannot speak has the potential to improve independence and quality of life,” added researcher David Moses. “This is a new approach that represents a distinct advance over existing methods for assisted communication.”
Other attempts with brain scanners, in fact, have been done before, but this is the first time a complete sentence has been converted from brain waves. Elon Musk, for example, has developed a device called Neuralink that can show the brain of a monkey while playing a video game.
Armando Mercuri