Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!world!decwrl!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu From: ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: Neural interfacing Message-ID: <8845@milton.u.washington.edu> Date: 9 Oct 90 15:48:25 GMT Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 77 Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu [Moderator's Note: The issue of neural interfacing may or may not be relevant to this newsgroup's users. The following article is signi- ficant because of its source and its claims. However, I would like to hear from the community of users how much they would like to pursue this line of inquiry. I'm currently disinclined to continue these discussions of relatively far off possibilities and to concentrate on today's technology and challenges, but your opinions will determine if and where the neural interfacing continues. -- Bob] I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but since I don't know of any bionics/cybernetics groups, I decided to post it here. The first part of this is from the August 1990 UNIXWORLD, page 160: "New developments in the fields of electronics and bio- chemistry are converging to make it practical to electronically tie into the signals carried by individual nerve fibers. MD's and EE's at Stanford University have made permanent connections (already over a year old and still operating) to the leg nerves of rats. Their device is a microchip that contains 1024 iridium-lined through-holes, each electrically linked to an external conector. The rat's nerve is cut through, the chip inserted between the cut ends, and as the nerve fibers regenerate they grow through the chip's holes, with each hole connecting to a single nerve fiber. Experiments have accurately read pulses traveling up and down the nerve fibers. The researchers have also sent thier own pulses down the fibers to move the rat's leg. By summer 1991 they expect to be testing a self-contained implant-a chip that transferes signals in and out of the body via and integrated radio transeiver. Stanford's work has been limited to the peripheral nerves so far, because in mammals the central nervous system does not naturally regrow to any significant extent after being severed. But scientists at the University of Zurich recently demonstrated that the proteins that inhibit regrowth can be neutralized by injecting a monoclonal antibody. Rats they've injected have been able to regrow severed spinal cord nerves up to a centimeter or more-ample for growing through the holes in Stanford's chip. Stanford is focusing its development efforts on the ovbious use for this technology: giving amputees life-like control over computerised artificial limbs. just as promising, though, are implants in healthy users to give them fine-scale remote control in situations which are presently limited to clumsy glove techniques. Well before the middle of the decade, these chips could be replacing mechanical glove arrangements in hazardous areas (space suits, glove-and-window boxes in chemistry and nuclear labs), and electronic sensor gloves that attempt to give hand-like control over long distances or in microscale work." First, the obvious uses, after the directly stated ones, could include the "man amplifier" suits in stories such as "Starship Troopers", and "Aliens", and a few other places. But when you think of the applications to VR and simular work, it becomes truely revolutionary. If the system is able to block regular nerve pulses (either by generating pulses of interference, or by literal blockage), then a state of simulated sensory depravation could be induced. Then, after mapping the eye transmissions along the optical nerve, a full pseudo-sensory environment could be induced. The outgoing body reactions could be handled in the same way the sensory input is handled. By blocking signals to muscles after they have been read, the system could send the intended movements into the virtual reality environment. Even some of the other systems of the cyberpunk fiction could be done with these implants. Direct interaction with machinery such as a car could speed up reaction times (by eliminating the time it takes to actuate the muscle). It could also be used to prevent sensory overload in pilots by giving them more direct control over several components, removing clutter from the cockpit. Or even putting a window-based system in a persons field of view that could be used for everything from sales records to aiming a gun (and you thought a heads up display was fancy). Emporers Thought for the Day: | John E. Rudd jr. Only the insane have the strength to prosper; | ccastjr@prism.gatech.edu Only those who prosper judge what is sane. | (ex- kzin@ucscb.ucsc.edu) #include Send all comments, flames, and complaints to /dev/null.