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Published online 28 May 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.861
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Monkeys move robotic arm using brain power
'Brain–machine interface' might one day help people with disabilities.
Researchers in the United States have created a brain implant that allows monkeys to feed themselves using a robotic arm just by thinking about it. The device could one day help paralysed people to operate prosthetic limbs that might enable them to eat, drink or use other utensils for themselves.
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Not all demonstrations have been conducted in virtual worlds: a paper published in 2003 describes training primates to operate robotic arms. From its abstract: "Here we demonstrate that primates can learn to reach and grasp virtual objects by controlling a robot arm through a closed-loop brain–machine interface . . . Using visual feedback, monkeys succeeded in producing robot reach-and-grasp movements even when their arms did not move" Learning to Control a Brain–Machine Interface for Reaching and Grasping by Primates Carmena JM, Lebedev MA, Crist RE, O'Doherty JE, Santucci DM, et al. PLoS Biology Vol. 1, No. 2, e42 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0000042
I am only wondering what the difference is between this project and the one that can be seen on youtube here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=TK1WBA9Xl3c I hope someone can tell me.