ABOVE: F. WILLETT ET AL./NATURE 2021/ERIKAWOODRUM
A brain-implant system trained to decode the neural signals for handwriting from a paralyzed man enabled a computer to type up to 90 characters per minute with 94 percent accuracy, researchers reported in Nature. The study’s authors say this brain-computer interface (BCI) is a considerable improvement over other experimental devices aimed at facilitating communication for people who cannot speak or move, but many steps remain before it might be used clinically.
“There are so many aspects of [the study] that are great,” says Emily Oby, who works as an assistant professor at Queen's University and was not involved in the work. “It’s a really good demonstration of human BCI that is working towards clinical viability,” and also contributes to understanding why the handwriting-based system seems to work better than BCIs based on translating the neural signals for more straightforward physical motions such as pointing ...
