In the photo - ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, 1943) is the world's first electronic general purpose digital computer that could be reprogrammed to solve a wide range of problems.
Even 50 years ago, no one could have foreseen the revolution that the smartphone invented in 1992 would produce. When computers filled the entire room, no one could even imagine how humanity would live - falling in love and hating, learning and playing, laughing and crying, buried in the black mirror of a tiny portable device.
Over the past 50 years, we have progressed faster than at any moment in our history from the birth of Christ. Sometimes I find myself thinking that I have forgotten how to be surprised: technologies are developing faster than I can read the news! But sometimes the mind comes across messages that are too fantastic to be true.
X / f Matrix: Keanu Reeves in the role of Neo causes sai from the wall, using his superpower for telekinesis
Telekinesis. Is this, excuse me, from the Marvel or DC universe? No, existing prototypes of neural interfaces have already been developed that allow controlling mechatronic devices using the power of thought. One of the developers since October of this year (2017) has been testing the beta version of the software, which "... reduced the number of errors to a level that inspires optimism." This is a solution to the main problem of everyone who tried to decipher brain signals - the difficulty of interpreting the ECG (electrocardiograms) of the brain caused by a wide range of individual brain characteristics of each patient.
The basic idea of the brain-computer neural interface has not changed since the time of Hans Berger (Hans Berger, 1924)
It is not surprising that neurocontrol is the fastest growing and most attractive branch of neuroscience. The potential market is huge. First of all, these are “smart” prostheses, which are designed to significantly improve the quality of life of people who, due to circumstances, have lost limbs.
Victoria Modesta - British singer and alternative fashion model
Most of the prototypes and turnkey solutions that exist today seem good when we consider them abstractly, from the point of view of an excursionist - evaluating photos, features, implemented innovative features. And it really is amazing: in the photo, Colorado resident Les Baugh is the first person in the world who successfully manages two prostheses using the power of thought.
The application practice is often fraught with a number of inconveniences and even difficulties - from elementary ones (prosthesis reaction speed, accuracy of team interpretation / execution, adaptation duration - “teaching” AI individual characteristics of each patient’s neuroactivity), to quite serious ones, such as, for example, difficulties and consequences of invasive neurosurgery.
Even representatives of the infamous project of the Ministry of Defense of one of the countries, emphasizing the excellent characteristics of the sensor (a chip capable of simultaneously interacting with 1 million neurons), recognize a number of problems: the inevitable chemotherapy, the risk of inflammation, the need for re-implantation due to loss of sensitivity of neurons. Also, the causes of complications of surgical intervention, such as epilepsy, remain undetermined.
Non-invasive neural interfaces are somewhat reminiscent of glasses or headphones
More realistic and convenient are designs that allow, without surgical intervention, to read the signals released by neurons from the surface of the patient’s head. Such a device looks like ordinary glasses or headphones, and the accuracy of interpretation is ensured by using the capabilities of cloud technology (all devices are integrated into a single network, in fact - a new segment of IoT - the Internet of things) and AI capabilities (patterning is several times faster, patterns are characterized high degree of compatibility). Everything described above causes complex feelings. And it’s not even a matter of the fantastic Skynet, whose ghost roams this page. For example, the very real problem of the "disease of civilization" - physical inactivity, which is recognized today as a serious problem by physicians in developed countries.
Almost an Internet meme: Sheldon Cooper is trying, by the power of thought, to blow up the brain of Leonard Hovstedter
The above examples - although they solve the most urgent problem for humanity, are just the tip of the iceberg. We are just beginning to understand all the possibilities of this revolutionary technology. After all, physical disabilities will no longer matter! Not only people with disabilities, each person will be able to "upgrade" himself as he wishes. We have come close to the next stage of evolution. Are you ready for this?
Some prostheses are not “prostheses” at all ...
Neurotechnology extends to all types of human activity. The medical ones are obvious, the entertaining ones are amazing, but what about the industrial ones? Think about the capabilities of robots or mechanisms partially controlled by the neural interface with the support of AI (artificial intelligence): hazardous industries, harmful environments, structures of the Ministry of Emergencies, military operations. And all this is much closer to reality than we think today.
Forest Fire at Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Neurocontrolled robots will make the work of firefighters safer and more efficient. Or imagine a fire at a large oil base, a large chemical industry ...
Speaking of opportunities, we must not forget about security. Neurocontrol is a powerful weapon, and we examined examples when it is used for the benefit of mankind. But what if the communication protocol between the device is decrypted and becomes accessible to an attacker? And if he manages to establish “feedback” and use the sensor as a relay of his ideas to the patient’s brain?
It would be very interesting to hear your opinion, dear friends and colleagues.