What is Artificial Intelligence?

A monkey implanted with a brain chip to control a robotic arm

If you have read about my previous articles about brain-computer interfacing, here is another breakthrough in science that enables the brain to control a robotic arm by the power of thought.

Using artificial intelligence, researchers at Pittsburg conducted laboratory experiments on a monkey, implanted with a microchip into its brain. The brain chip, thinner than human hair and 4mm long, is directly implanted in the motor cortex portion of the brain, which controls the voluntary movement of the muscles. The chip captures the electrodes in the neurons, deciphers it and sends signals to move the robotic arm.

The robotic arm moved freely and with dexterity, as if, it moved on his own, or it may have been used with micro-controllers. However, the movement was directly controlled by the brain, in fact, the monkey was fastened, so there was no way that the test be biased. The subject didn't even show stressed or disturbed. Disregarding the monkey for a second, the robotic arm looked autonomous.

After a successful test with an animal subject, human experiments will be conducted over the next year. So you could imagine now, how the human subject will be implanted with a microchip!

Watch the actual laboratory test of the project here.