After scrolling through and reading the descriptions of the possible TED Talks available, one stood out above the rest. The description of “Miguel Nicolelis: Brain to Brain Communication Has Arrived” mentioned a “brain-controlled exoskeleton that allowed a paralyzed man to kick the first ball of the 2014 World Cup.” My initial reaction was, “How did I miss this? I watched every minute of every game in that World Cup.” After thinking for a few seconds, however, I took a second glance at the statement to assure I read it correctly. A man, paralyzed from the middle of his chest to his toes, was able to kick a soccer ball in a man-made exoskeleton being controlled entirely by his brain.
Thirty years of imagining and fifteen years of planning led up to the unbelievable event that took place on June 12th, 2014. The Brain Machine Interface is what made this dream a reality. This machine uses sensors to read and analyze electrical brainstorms, which then create motor commands. Nicolelis and his partner then transformed the motor commands into digital demands in order for electrical devices to act out.
The most interesting part of this TED Talk emerged from the monkey experiment. In this experiment, a monkey controlled a virtual arm, moving it into designated circles on the screen simply by imagining. I always imagined this type of technology so far in the future I had no idea it already existed and had been used on such a stage as the FIFA World Cup.
Miguel Nicolelis proves himself very trustworthy because of his passion for the subject. He goes through thirty years of peers calling him crazy and years of trial and error. Along with his passion, he utilizes evidence from the World Cup as well as the monkey experiment.
A research idea that came to mind from this experiment was using these same sensors to achieve control over video game characters just through imagining. I would conduct this through creating an entirely new console gaming system. Similar sensors used in the Brain Machine Interface would connect to the console replacing the controller entirely. Instead of these sensors controlling the console as a whole, they will control aspects inside the game, such as characters and decisions.
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I really enjoyed your blog post. The introduction was catchy and drew me in, making me want to read and learn more about the topic. I liked the background you went into when detailing the way the Brain Machine interface functions and allows for things such as a paralyzed man kicking a soccer ball. I also agreed with your claim of the monkey machine being extremely interesting and impactful in the realm of brain controlled mechanics. I think your experimental design is very interesting, but I would be curious as to what aspect of the brain you are specifically testing aside from the software itself. Overall, I agreed with all of the claims you made and thought your writing was very thoughtful and engaging.
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After reading this blog post, I am truly intrigued by this concept! The fact that a man paralyzed from the chest down was able to kick a soccer ball simply from his brain is truly extraordinary. Also, the fact that so much time and effort was put into making this happen, and the moment when it finally happened is truly amazing. I also find it really cool that they could mimc the same thing with a monkey. It sounds like based on the motor commands being transformed into digital demands that they were controlling the pons in the brainstem. Other parts of the brain that control muscle movement such as the motor cortex in the frontal lobe seem to have been used with this as well. It sounds like Nicolelis is pretty knowledgable about brain to brain communication, but I would like to further know if he studied the subject specifically in college, or if he just has a huge passion for it. Since he was apart of the Brain Machine Interface, he seems like a pretty trustworthy source. I think your research idea is really cool, especially since video games are so popular. But since it would be digital, would these sensors connecting to the controller also involve using the sensors for the motor cortex, or would they also be in place for the cerebellum, or the amygdala? They both control emotion and anger, so those could also rely somehow into the video game to control, like you said, “the characters, and [their] decisions”. Overall, this is a really interesting experiment, and I thought your blog post was very informative!
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This reflection really peaked my interest and it was really impressive to read how scientists have made an exoskeleton machine that can use the brains thoughts to create actions for someone who is paralyzed. I think it is crazy how scientists have made this type of technology already, as I too believed this wouldn’t be coming till the future. You should have mentioned the part of the brain that he is accessing to be doing these movements in the exoskeleton machine. I believe the Prefrontal Lobe is the part of the brain that gives him his motor control, but there is no clear understanding on what parts of the brain these sensors are individually helping. That should be mentioned so your readers can have a better understanding of how the brain is able to do this and what the sensors are actually reading. I believe your experimental design would be really cool and it would be a new beneficial way for people to connect their thoughts and actions into something like a video game. I feel that this exoskeleton machine will eventually become more and more advanced and popular leading to helping more people with certain disabilities. With there already being a sensored machine that can turn brain functions into real actions, I feel that creating a video game utilizing these aspects should be easily accessible. Miguel Nicolelis is a reliable source as he has had many years of research and created physical experiments to help create the machine that can be life changing.
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