Mind Reading Robots Closer Than You Think

From left, Shikha Chaganti, Anca Ralescu and Gaurav Mukherjee work on a brain-computer interface project. Credit: University of Cincinnati If you think with the release of every new i-device the world is getting closer to thought-controlled smart tech and robotic personal assistants, you might be right. And thanks in part to work led by the University of Cincinnati's Anca Ralescu, we may be even closer than you realize. Professor Ralescu of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems will discuss her team's research aims and current progress on brain-computer interface at theInternational Human-Centered Robotics Symposium (HuCeRo). The University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) will host the symposium on Nov. 14-17 at UC’s Kingsgate Marriott Conference Center. The symposium aims to bring together leading researchers and engineers in the fields of robotics, computer science, material science and brain-computer interaction. Ralescu's presentation will be Nov. 17. Brain-computer interface uses electroencephalography (a measure of the brain's electrical activity) to help distinguish which brain signal corresponds with the body's performance of a particular intended action. In these experiments, Shikha Chaganti, a graduate student in computer science advised by Ralescu,...

Read More........→November 14, 2013

Bionic eye good to go:artificial retina receives FDA approval

Screen Shot On Youtube Video The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted market approval to an artificial retina technology today, the first bionic eye to be approved for patients in the United States. The prosthetic technology was developed in part with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The device, called the Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System, transmits images from a small, eye-glass-mounted camera wirelessly to a microelectrode array implanted on a patient's damaged retina. The array sends electrical signals via the optic nerve, and the brain interprets a visual image. While the Argus II is a major breakthrough in retinal  prosthetics, researchers are continuing their research. This third-generation retina chip, itself still very early in the development stage, contains 1,000 electrodes and was developed by Wentai Liu, a professor of bioengineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and his colleagues. Early engineering done by Liu and his team was licensed to Second Sight for the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis  System. The FDA approval currently applies to individuals who have lost sight as a result of severe to profoundretinitis pigmentosa (RP), an ailment that affects one in every 4,000 Americans. The implant allows some individuals...

Read More........→February 16, 2013