Monday, March 04, 2013

Two Brains Linked Electronically Through Cables

Scientists from the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, building  on their previous work with brain-machine interfaces have connected the brains of lab rats, allowing one to communicate directly to another via cables.

The  implants allowed  signals to be sent from one rat to another, creating the first ever brain-to-brain interface.  The devices allowed sensory and motor signals to be sent across the interface, even if the interface nodes were thousands of miles apart. 

The interfaces do not have to be connected to another brain, but can also be connected to a variety of sensor.  The team interfaced on rat with infra-red detectors, allowing the animal to "touch" infra-red energy directly. 

Although the signals were in real time, results did not occur instantly.  Training for 1 hour a day for 45   days eventually brought a success rate of close to 70%.

For more information you can read the BBC News Article here
or the Scientific Reports article here

No comments: