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Neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis poses
with an owl monkey and a robotic arm.
with an owl monkey and a robotic arm.
Monkey Moves Robot with Brain
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A recent study shows that nonhuman primates can direct remote limbs via brain waves, offering hope for prosthetic limb technology.
30-Second Summary
A recent study published in the scientific journal Nature shows that monkeys are able to move remote robot arms by using their thoughts alone.
The science behind brain-machine interface technology has been in development, since initial studies were completed on nonhuman primates at Duke University in 2003.
The studies hold wide promise for the future development of prosthetic limbs: “scientists expect that technology will eventually allow people with spinal cord injuries and other paralyzing conditions to gain more control over their lives,” the New York Times reports.
In another study completed in 2005, a researcher noted that the implications of controlling remote apparatuses through brain waves indicates that “the brain has extraordinary abilities to adapt to incorporate artificial tools, whether directly controlled by the brain or through the appendages.”
At approximately the same time as the second primate study was conducted in 2005, animal rights activists in the U.K. began protesting tests conducted on nonhuman primates.
A 2008 ruling by the European Commission found that a total ban on nonhuman primate testing would be detrimental to medical progress.
The science behind brain-machine interface technology has been in development, since initial studies were completed on nonhuman primates at Duke University in 2003.
The studies hold wide promise for the future development of prosthetic limbs: “scientists expect that technology will eventually allow people with spinal cord injuries and other paralyzing conditions to gain more control over their lives,” the New York Times reports.
In another study completed in 2005, a researcher noted that the implications of controlling remote apparatuses through brain waves indicates that “the brain has extraordinary abilities to adapt to incorporate artificial tools, whether directly controlled by the brain or through the appendages.”
At approximately the same time as the second primate study was conducted in 2005, animal rights activists in the U.K. began protesting tests conducted on nonhuman primates.
A 2008 ruling by the European Commission found that a total ban on nonhuman primate testing would be detrimental to medical progress.
Headline Link: Monkeys move robot limbs with brain waves
The New York Times reports on a recent study published in the science journal Nature, which details possible advances in the field of prosthetic limbs and paralysis. According to a researcher at the University of Montreal, the study reveals the potential of new technology that “would allow patients with severe motor deficits to interact and communicate with the world not only by the moment-to-moment control of the motion of robotic devices, but also in a more natural and intuitive manner that reflects their overall goals, needs and preferences.”
Source: The New York Times
Background: Earlier studies in brain-machine interface technology
In 2003 the BBC reported on the initial findings of Duke University, which showed that monkeys could be trained to control and operate robotic limbs located in another room. According to Professor Miguel Nicolelis, the “analyses of the brain signals showed that the animal learned to assimilate the robot arm into her brain as if it was her own arm.” The study gave scientists hope that patients with spinal damage and paralysis might someday learn to operate prosthetic limbs through brain waves alone.
Source: BBC Health
A study from 2005 showed that monkeys can use their brains to remotely control external devices. In a study conducted at Duke University Medical Center, neurobiologists found that “[monkey] brain structures are adapting to treat the arm as if it were their own appendage.” Miguel Nicolelis who conducted the experiments concluded, “In our new experiments, the idea is that by using vision and touch, we’re actually going to create inside the brains of these animal a vivid perceptual image of what it is to have a third arm.”
Source: Duke University News & Communications
Opinion & Analysis: U.K. debate on the ethics of primate testing
At the time of the 2005 primate-brain study, scrutiny over testing on monkeys became a contested issue in the U.K. According to an article published in the BBC, “The predominant view in science is that monkeys’ physiological similarities to humans…make them powerful tools to investigate the diseases and fundamental biology of people. But that closeness also raises an acute ethical dilemma—and there is growing pressure for the relatively small numbers of nonhuman primates used in tests to be reduced still further.”
Source: BBC
In response to protests on monkey experimentation, the U.K.’s Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust announced that experiments on nonhuman primates “are the only option for some areas of medicine,” New Scientist reported. According to Wellcome Trust director Mark Walport, vaccines for polio, life-support for premature babies, kidney dialysis treatments, stroke rehabilitation techniques, treatments for Parkinson’s disease and measures to prevent blindness in the elderly can only be done on monkeys.
Source: New Scientist
In February of 2008 the European Commission (EC) determined that an absolute ban on nonhuman primate testing would be counterproductive. In response to Animal Defenders International, which proposed a ban on primate testing, the EC issued a directive with the following qualification, “an experiment shall not be performed if another scientifically satisfactory method of obtaining the result sought, not entailing the use of an animal, is reasonably and practicably available.”
Source: in-Pharma Technologist.com
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