Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Scientists in Switzerland are working on a chip for the human brain that could soon improve the lives of people with severe motor disorders by translating thoughts into text. The brain-computer interface is particularly impressive for its tiny size and its astonishing accuracy.
First high-performance interface
Brain-machine interfaces aim to restore communication and control to individuals with severe motor impairments. Such systems have been bulky, power-intensive, and limited in their practical applications. Now, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have developed the first high-performance “Miniaturized Brain-Machine Interface”. This chip is not only offering an extremely small, low-power, highly accurate, and versatile solution but also paves the way for practical, fully implantable devices.
Brain-to-text conversion involves decoding neural signals generated when a person imagines writing letters or words. In this process, electrodes implanted in the brain record neural activity associated with the motor actions of handwriting. The Swiss chipset then processes these signals in real-time, translating the brain’s intended hand movements into corresponding digital text. The chip can currently decode up to 31 different characters, an achievement unmatched by any other integrated systems.
“While the chip has not yet been integrated into a working brain-machine interface, it has processed data from previous live recordings, such as those from the Shenoy lab at Stanford, converting handwriting activity into text with an impressive 91% accuracy,” states Mohammed Ali Shaeri, the lead author of an article about the chip in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.
Neurotechnological breakthrough
The technology holds the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for patients with conditions such as spinal cord injuries and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). It allows individuals, especially those with locked-in syndrome and other severe motor impairments, to communicate by simply thinking about writing, with the interface converting their thoughts into readable text on a screen. “This advancement brings us closer to practical, implantable solutions,” says Mahsa Shoaran of the Integrated Neurotechnologies Laboratory at EPFL.
Current brain-machine interfaces record the data from electrodes implanted in the brain and then send these signals to a separate computer to do the decoding. The Swiss chip records the data but also processes the information in real time—integrating a 192-channel neural recording system with a 512-channel neural decoder. This neurotechnological breakthrough is a feat of extreme miniaturization that combines expertise in integrated circuits, neural engineering, and artificial intelligence.
Text: Michael David Mitchell/EPFL News (Editing by SCCIJ)
