What聽is a聽Brain Computing Interface?
A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a machine that can read and analyze brain signals and translate those into commands that a computer can execute.聽They become more聽accurate聽over time by analyzing your brain signals and learning from them, matching them to specific actions that you聽desire.聽An electroencephalogram (EEG) which measures brain waves is not a brain computer interface.聽This is because even though an EEG records brain signals it does not interpret what these brain signals聽mean聽--聽it just displays them.聽Brain computer interfaces聽arecommonly聽used聽for people with motor disorders to help them communicate or complete聽tasks聽.聽
There are three main types of brain computer interfaces.聽There are invasive, partially invasive, and non-invasive systems.聽An invasive BCI involves inserting electrodes directly into the brain.聽They measure the clearest brain signals compared to the other two methods because they are getting the signals directly from the brain.聽Partially invasive BCI involves embedding electrodes into the skull rather than into the brain.聽The brain signals measured are a little less clear聽than聽the invasive聽method,聽but it is also a less invasive surgery.聽The third type of BCI is a non-invasive BCI.聽For non-invasive BCI鈥檚 the brain signals are measured through sensors that are placed on top of the skull and do not involve any surgical procedure.聽They produce the least clear聽results,聽but it is also viewed as the safest type of BCI.聽
How will brain-computer interfaces change the future?
The idea for brain computer interfaces was formulated聽to聽help those with motor disorders聽so聽they could perform everyday tasks.聽They were meant to be a way to improve the quality of life for those who are aging or have disorders affecting their ability to control their body.聽A brain computer interface can be used to allow someone who is paralyzed to聽operate聽an electronic聽wheelchair, an amputee to聽operate聽a prosthetic limb, or can help someone who is blind regain some form of sight.聽A scientist named William聽Dobelle聽was able to partially restore sight through cameras on a pair of glasses that sent visual signals to an implant in the brain. The introduction of Brain computer interfaces聽can聽drastically improve the quality of life for many people around the world.鈥�
Some Disadvantages of Brain-Computer Interfaces聽
Although there are brain computer interfaces that are available today there is still a lot of work to be done.聽One disadvantage of invasive brain computer interfaces is that the electrodes that are inserted into the brain can create scar tissue over time because the brain is rejecting the foreign聽object.聽This can cause the brain signals to become weaker and unclear.聽Brain computer interfaces can also be聽very expensive.聽Not everyone can afford聽the technology聽required.聽It also takes聽a very long聽time for brain computer interfaces to聽go through their learning phase聽and even then, they are not always that聽accurate聽at interpreting brain signals.聽Brain signals are聽very complex聽and can be quite difficult to understand so it takes a long time for the interfaces to learn to interpret your specific brain function.聽聽
Conclusion
Brain computer interfaces have the potential to improve the quality of life for many people around the globe.聽They allow an amputee to control their prosthetic limbs and can even restore sight for those who聽cannot聽see.聽There is a lot of potential for brain computer interfaces as they advance in the future.聽They are far from perfect and have a long way to go, but they could become the future of how we interact with machines.聽
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[2] A. N.聽Belkacem, N. Jamil, J. A. Palmer, S.聽Ouhbi, and C. Chen, 鈥淏rain computer interfaces for improving the quality of life of older adults and elderly patients,鈥澛燜rontiers, 01-Jan-1AD. [Online]. Available: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00692/full. [Accessed: 12-Oct-2021].鈥�
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