Neural Control of Robot Arm

[Leo M]

Guys, I guess this is where it is all going - control of a robot by thought alone. Check out this research by Dr. Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University Medical Center!

http://dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=7100

He actually was able to train a rhesus monkey to control a robotic arm through thought alone - with a little help from implanted electrodes. It's probably not time to schedule a little 'operation' for your drivers yet, but eventually..... Maybe after they have used this technique to assist amputees/paralyzed/Parkinson's patients.

Astounding research - you must check this out. Thoughts, comments???

[Ryan M.]

Why wait? I'll perform the surgery in our pit if you want. ;) Just stop by...

[R2K2D2]

This kind of technology is not too far from the near future. Think about it, it is basically the combination of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biological Sciences. This is totally interesting. Think about it, your muscles in the body can definitely be modeled by electronics and mechanics. Your brain sends the message to a synapse which changes the electrical potential across the muscle causing it to move one way or the other in varying degrees of strength. This is a very new, hot, and emerging field that has a lot of potential and interest all over the world.