Podcast #55 – The Wild Future of Brain-Machine Interface – with Duke’s Dr. Mikhail Lebedev

According to a report from Cullen College of Engineering, Jose L. Contreras-Vidal, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the college, is pioneering a unique study on the brain’s reaction to art, which he hopes could help streamline brain-machine interface systems.

Imagine you have the ability to operate your mobile phone, tablet or pc using only the power of your mind. Thanks to a new mobile brain-machine interface (BMI) developed by Mind Solutions Inc. you can. The company will showcase their innovative device on Money TV on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014, according to a report at bizjournals.com.

Research in the field of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) dates back to the 1950s when National Institute of Health researcher John Lilly implanted a series of between 25 to 610 electrodes in the cortex of rhesus monkeys. By using the electrodes to stimulate the monkeys' cortex, Lilly was able to study the spread of motor function throughout the cortical tissue.

Dr. Christoph Guger is founder of g.Tec, a company that focuses on creating devices and parts for the field of brain-machine interface. In this particular interview, Christoph shares with us the direction and progress of brain-machine interface, as well as explaining the concept of "embodiment," where a person truly "feels" that a device controlled by their thoughts is a part of themselves, and extension of themselves. Where might these technologies make their jump into the mainstream? Listen to Christoph's interview here.

Brain-computer interfacing (BCI) is a rapidly growing field that offers huge potential for many applications, such as medical grade BCIs, to help people with sensory-motor disabilities. Currently, a number of researchers are developing more affordable BCI systems designed to address a wider range of neurotherapeutic applications.