{"id":8560,"date":"2015-04-30T11:59:29","date_gmt":"2015-04-30T15:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=8560"},"modified":"2017-04-05T13:03:21","modified_gmt":"2017-04-05T17:03:21","slug":"direct-neural-interfaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/direct-neural-interfaces\/8560\/","title":{"rendered":"How direct neural interfaces work"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are living in a fascinating era when the technologies which seemed like they were from science fiction are entering our everyday lives. Or, at least, they\u2019re making the first shaky steps to being a part of our regular reality. One great example of such tech is direct neural interface<\/a>. On the surface it is just another method\u00a0of human-machine interaction, but it really is something much more revolutionary.<\/p>\n

\"Direct<\/a><\/p>\n

Modern PC manipulators are a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch-enabled display. Voice or gesture input are becoming more and more pervasive. A computer is already capable of tracking your eye movements or identifying the direction a user looks. The next stage of human-machine interaction is a means of direct computation of neural system signals, presented by direct neural interfaces.<\/p>\n

How it all started<\/h3>\n

The first theoretical insights into this concept are based on the fundamental research carried out by Sechenov<\/a> and Pavlov<\/a>, who are the founding fathers of the conditional reflex theory. In Russia, the development of this theory which serves the basis for such devices, started in the middle of the 20th century. The practical application, carried out both in Russia and abroad, was heard of as long ago as the 1970s.<\/p>\n

Back in those days, the scientists tried to inject various sensors into lab chimps\u2019 bodies and made them manipulate robots by force of mind in order to get bananas. Curiously, it worked.<\/p>\n

As they say, where there\u2019s a will, there\u2019s a way. The key challenge was the fact that in order to make\u00a0the whole thing work, the scientists had to equip their \u2018mind machine\u2019 by a set of electronic components which occupied the whole room nearby.<\/p>\n

Now, this challenge can be tackled, as many electronic components became miniscule. Today, any geek can play that chimp from the \u201970s. Not to\u00a0mention the practical use from such technologies and the merits they bring to disabled or paralyzed people.<\/p>\n

How it works<\/h3>\n

To put it simply, human neural system generates, transmits, and processes electrochemical signals in different parts of the body. The \u2018electric part\u2019 of those signals can be \u2018read\u2019 and \u2018interpreted\u2019.<\/p>\n

There are different ways to do this; all of them have their advantages and drawbacks. For instance, you can collect the signals via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but the needful appliances are too bulky.<\/p>\n

It is possible to inject special liquid markers to enable the process, but they may be harmful for a human organism. Finally,\u00a0one may use tiny sensors. Using such sensors is, in general, the means of using direct neural interfaces.<\/p>\n

In our everyday lives we may find one such appliance in a neurologist\u2019s office. It looks like a rubber cap with a ton of sensors and wires attached to it. It serves for diagnostics, but who said it cannot serve other purposes?<\/p>\n\n

We should differentiate between direct neural interfaces and brain-machine interfaces. The latter is a derivation of the first and deals only with brain. Direct neural interfaces deal with different parts of neural system. In essence, we talk about indirect or direct connection to the human\u2019s neural system which we can use to transmit and receive certain signals.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to \u2018connect\u2019 to a human, and all of them depend on the sensors used. For example, sensors vary in terms of submersion; there are the following types of sensors:<\/p>\n