BMI/BCI
A Brain – Machine Interface (BMI) is a device that allows individuals to use their brain signals to control devices or communicate directly with software.
The purpose of the development of this type of device is primarily to help people with mobility impairments, paralysis or neurological disorders.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE HUMAN AND THE MACHINE
The Human
Everything in the world is made of atoms. Atoms are made of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons are positively charged, neutrons are neutral, and electrons are negatively charged. An atom will be negatively or positively charged when its constituents are out of balance. Due to this charge difference, the electrons flow, which creates electricity.
We need to talk about the vacuum. A vacuum is an empty place. You can read about it HERE.
“The vacuum of space means that there is less than one atom per cubic meter between the galaxies. Less, than one piece…
An average adult human body is made up of about 7 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 atoms.
7 billion billion billion atoms. Or 7 octillion atoms. In an area the size of a human body…”
The human body uses electrical signals to communicate, move, and think. These – We – works with electricity generated within the nervous system.
When we reach for the glass, walk, our brain sends signals to our muscles through the nerves. In this case, for example, from one nerve cell in our brain to another in the spinal cord, and from there to the muscles. These signals are entirely electrical signals that normally reach the right area so quickly that, for example, we immediately pull our hand away when we burn it. Because just as our brain sends messages, it also receives and reacts to incoming impulses. Our body’s electrical impulses can travel up to 120 meters per second.
The natural energy source of our brain is glucose, which we can only get into our body from an external source.
We are able to measure the electrical signals necessary for our heartbeat – which are generated by the sinus node in the wall of the right atrium – with an ECG. With the EEG (electroencephalogram), we are also able to measure brain currents.
The Machine
BMI devices can be non-invasive (EEG, MEG, MRI), invasive (microelectrode array), and even partially invasive (ECoG – electrocorticogram – and endovascular) depending on how close their electrodes are to the brain tissue itself.
Invasive BMI: these devices are implanted in the body. The electrodes are connected directly to the surface of the brain or into the brain, thus they are able to transmit the signals of our brain as accurately as possible. It is the most risky because of the possibility of infection and rejection by the body. Currently, it can only be used in people with serious health problems.
Non-invasive BMI: external devices, therefore the safest. For example, the EEG, which most closely resembles a swimming cap, is used to record the electrical activity of the scalp. The EEG measures voltage fluctuations resulting from the ionic current within the brain’s neurons. This is a simpler implementation, but sometimes involves a lower signal resolution.
Partially invasive/hybrid BMI: those requiring minimal intervention.
The Communication
BMIs works by recording and interpreting brain signals, thereby enabling communication and control of external devices. The processing and transmission of the signals depends on the type of connection – invasive, non-invasive – and the structure of the BMI.
The resulting raw brain signals are processed to extract relevant information. This may include filtering, amplification, and other signal processing techniques. For example, imagining specific movements and actions in conjunction with motor imagery, BMI can interpret our intentions. We can also learn to generate distinguishable brain signals for tasks that require concentration or focus.
Algorithms help the analysis and interpretation of signals, filtering out patterns and specific characteristics related to certain brain activities. The features extracted from the processed signals indicate specific brain activities. For example, certain patterns may be associated with motor imagery, attention, or other cognitive states. Decoding algorithms transform the extracted functions into executable commands. This can be, for example, moving a cursor on a computer screen, moving a robotic arm, or generating specific actions in software. The user receives feedback based on his brain commands. This feedback can be visual, audible or tactile, depending on the application.
BMIs have many applications, including communication aids for people with locked-in syndrome, assistive technology for the physically challenged, and research tools for studying brain function.
Synchronization
BMIs require training and calibration. The user performs specific mental tasks and activities, allowing the system to learn and recognize the associated brain signals.
The development of machine learning, signal processing and Artificial Intelligence – AI contributes to the improvement of the accuracy and reliability of BMIs.
SOME COPMPANIES
Ongoing research aims to improve BMI capabilities, make them more efficient, accessible and applicable in various fields, including healthcare and human-computer interaction.
BrainGate
The BrainGate Inc. is a neurotechnology company that uses microelectrodes implanted in the brain to allow people to control external devices such as computers or robotic arms with their thoughts. The company is at the forefront of enabling severely disabled individuals to communicate, interact and think.
Kernel
Kernel founded in 2016. The Company’s goal is to improve human intelligence by building advanced neuroprostheses. In 2018, Kernel’s team of world-class engineers and scientists began developing a technology called time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which became their first hardware product, Kernel Flow. Flow enables natural head movement, real-world measurements and large-scale data collection.
Emotiv
Emotiv, a bioinformatics company founded in 2011, makes EEG headsets and software for brain-computer interface applications, including gaming, research and healthcare. Their mission is to empower individuals to understand their own brains and to accelerate brain research on a global scale. Their purpose is to track cognitive performance, monitor emotions, and regulate both.
G.tec medical engineering GmbH
The Austrian company G.tech, founded in 1999, develops and manufactures high-performance brain-computer interfaces and neurotechnologies for invasive and non-invasive recordings for research or clinical purposes.
OpenBCI
OpenBCI founded in 2014. The company is known for developing open source EEG hardware and software for biosensing and neuroscience, and for promoting collaboration and innovation in the BMI community.
CTRL – labs (Meta)
Acquired by Meta Platfroms (formerly Facebook) in 2019, CTRL – labs worked on neural interface technology to interpret neural signals and transform them into actions. The technology and expertise of CTRL – labs has been integrated into Meta’s broader vision (Tech at Meta) as the development of technologies related to human-computer interaction, in connection with virtual and augmented reality experiences.
Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology’s subsidiary BrainAccess, founded in 2019, develops non-invasive BMIs that work with EEG. Their products can be used to develop applications in which a person controls a computer or other device through actions such as eye movements, visual focus, relaxation state, or other subtle changes that can be detected in the user’s EEG signal patterns.
Synchron
Synchron is a neurotechnology company. Its primary product is the Stentrode, a small implantable device that is inserted into blood vessels near the brain. The Stentrode is designed to record nerve signals and enable communication between the brain and external devices. Its technology involves decoding neural signals to interpret user intent. The goal is to help physically challenged individuals regain a certain degree of control and independence, and help people with neurological diseases. A minimally invasive implantation technique is used. The Stentrode is delivered to the target area through blood vessels using a catheter-based procedure, avoiding open brain surgery.
Neuralink
Perhaps the best-known company dealing with BMI is Neuralink, founded in 2016 by Elon Musk (28 June, 1971 – ). The company’s mission is to develop brain-computer interfaces that treat various brain diseases, with the ultimate goal of creating a whole brain interface that can more closely connect biological and artificial intelligence. Its special feature is that it would be invisible, the data transfer would take place via a wireless connection, at a high bandwidth. It can connect to the brain with far more electrodes (currently 1024 channels) than any other company’s model currently in development. Another goal is to reduce the risk of Artificial Intelligence to humanity.
BMI IN USE
All this is not the actuality of the distant future at all. The history of BMI began in 1924, when the German psychologist Hans Berger (Germany, 21 May 21, 1873 – Germany, 1 June, 1941) discovered the electrical activity of the human brain through EEG. However, more in-depth BMI research began in the 1970s at the University of California, Los Angeles – UCLA, with Professor Jacques Vidal, who also coined the term “brain – computer interface”.
From the Firsts
The breakthrough occurred in 1998, when Phillip Kennedy implanted the first invasive BMI in humans. However, most publications mention Matthew Nagle (16 October, 1979 – 24 July, 2007) as the first such patient, who was an elite athlete but was paralyzed from the neck down during a stabbing. The 96 – electrode device named “Utah Array” was implanted on June 22, 2004 by neurosurgeon Gerhard Friehs. Matt could control a computer cursor. With the help of this, for example, he was able to draw on the screen (although not precisely), he was able to turn on the television and change the channel. You could do practically anything that could be done by pressing buttons. He was also able to send commands to an external prosthetic hand (close and open).
to the Present
There are already devices on the market that enable interfaces between computers and the human brain.
For example, in the United States alone, nearly 200,000 people have cochlear implants. It is a small, complex electronic device that can help give a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. The implant consists of an external part that sits behind the ear and a second part that is surgically placed under the skin. The implant consists of the following parts: a microphone, a speech processor, a transmitter and a receiver/stimulator, which receives the signals from the speech processor and converts them into electrical impulses, and an electrode array, which is a group of electrodes that collects the impulses of the stimulator and sends them to different regions of the auditory nerve.
Under strict regulations, invasive BMI tests have been taking place worldwide for some time with the participation of volunteers. So far, only a few dozen volunteers have BMI.
Most recently Neuralink received a license for human experiments in May 2023 after the animal experiments. In 29th January 2024. Elon Musk announced that the first human implant has taken place.
There are countless BMI technologies under development. As these technologies spread and develop more and more, the more precise discussion of the emerging questions related to ethics, politics, and legislation becomes more urgent worldwide.
The Technology is not a Demon. We decide how we use It.
The Future is here. We’ve building it for a while.
Be a Nerdy Bird!
