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Randal Koene, PhD, is CEO and founder of CarbonCopies.org, and one of the world's foremost experts on neurology as it relates to uploading human minds. "Uploading" is still the stuff of science fiction, but it's a life mission for Koene – and legendary futurists and scientists such as Ray Kurzweil expect it to be possible within just a few decades of progress.

Since the inception of the discipline of artificial intelligence (AI) in the 1950s, progress in the field has advanced at a rapid pace. We have seen the development of early neural networks, game AI, the Turing Test, and theories involving expert systems and intelligent agents, but according to Ben Goertzel, there is a specific element of AI today that is significantly missing.

New Technology Allows Brain to Move Paralyzed Limb 

Australia-based electronics company Emotiv is one of the leaders in brain-computer interfaces. The company was founded in 2003 by inventor and engineer Neil Weste, neuroscientist Professor Allan Snyder, and technology entrepreneurs Nam Do, and Tan Le. Since its inception, Emotiv has advanced the field of brain-computer interface (BCI) research through the development of the EPOC neuroheadset, which utilizes the latest developments in neurotechnology, neuroimaging and high-resolution electroencephalography (EEG).

As the gaming community eagerly awaits the Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset that will allow gamers full, 360° immersion into their games and virtual worlds, the medical community is also developing a wide variety of applications for the new VR device. And, as a recent Forbes article points out, the use of virtual reality as a therapeutic aid is just beginning.

Touchless Technology for Surgeons

Combine the skills of computer scientists and surgeons and what do you get? The answer is a form of technology that allows medical experts to interact with patients without touching them. According to a report at Physics Org, touchless technology is being implemented in operating theaters for heart surgery. The system relies on the manipulation of live fluoroscopic images of the heart. Surgeons can use the technology, by means of gesture or voice control, to interact within surgical settings, without contact. The system, developed by a team piloted by Dr. Mark Rouncefield and Dr. Gerardo Gonzalez from the School of Computing and Communications at Lancaster University UK, uses Kinect for Windows hardware and the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit to give surgeons the advantage of a sterile environment while performing an operation. The technology is also being extended to neurosurgery.

As the world watched, the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil was officially kicked off last week by a 29-year old Brazilian named Juliano Pinto. Nothing unusual about that, until you consider that Pinto is a paraplegic and made the ceremonial kick-off through the use of an exoskeleton controlled by brain waves transmitted through a brain-machine interface (BMI). Pinto’s robotic suit was developed as part of Duke University’s Walk Again Project, led by Brazilian neuroscientist and Duke University faculty member Miguel Nicolelis and his team of over 150 scientists and researchers, representing 25 countries.

Bionic Pancreas to Help Type I Diabetes Sufferers

According the American Diabetes Association, in 2012, 9.3 percent of Americans were suffering from the disease. Type I diabetes, usually diagnosed in children and young adults, causes the body to produce insufficient insulin. Insulin is vital for converting starches and sugar into energy. A recent report in Diabetes Mine gives new hope to diabetes I sufferers in the form of a bionic pancreas. Inspired by his diabetic son, Boston researcher Ed Damiano has developed a device which continually monitors glucose levels while simultaneously delivering insulin as needed. How does it work? Two pumps—one for insulin and one for glucagon are attached to the abdomen along with a monitor that checks the sugar levels. These wirelessly connect to an iPhone with an app that tracks glucose levels. As glucose levels rise, the app signals the release of insulin, as they fall, it signals the release of glucagon; maintaining balanced health.

Hyperlayer provides a free, open source application that combines cloud computing with facial recognition and next-generation mobile devices. The system can be used for safety, geomapping, consumer research and also has many other potential applications. The acquired data can be transmitted to any device that can connect to the Internet, which gives it great potential for the future of augmented reality (AR).

One of the most popular applications for brain-computer-interfaces in in assistive health care, particularly to help people with physical and vocal disabilities. Recently, researchers at the Osaka University in Japan made a significant breakthrough by developing a brain-machine-interface (BMI) that has the capability to learn.