Direct Neural Interface - Brain to Speech Synthesis

In what may be a breakthrough, a research team at Boston University has been recording the neural firing in the speech areas of the brain belonging to Mr. Eric Ramsey. Mr. Ramsey is unable to speak. He has been paralyzed but conscious for the past eight years, following a car accident.

The team claims that they can correctly identify the sound that Mr. Ramsey is "imagining" about 80% of the time. Now that they have trained their computer algorithm to this level, the research will now move towards translating these "imagined" sounds, the "thoughts" of Mr. Ramsey, directly into speech. This will involve providing Mr. Ramsey with real-time feedback so that he may learn to adjust has ability to "think out loud".

If it works, it will be a major advance for neuroscience. However, it has not come as a complete surprise. Researchers have been progressively improving at decoding primitive vocabulary for some time.

The wireless electrode probe, which is surgically implanted just six-millimeters below the surface of his brain, records pulses from 41 surrounding neurons involved in speech generation. Although the technique is invasive it may offer hope for many paralyzed people to speak. Certainly, we would like to hear the words of Dr. Hawking once again.

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Neural Signals, Inc. - Cutting Edge Assistive Technology

Home Auto-Fabrication is Here

A fabber is an automated system that can create three-dimensional objects from raw materials. They have been common in the electronics industry for many years -- the electronics of many devices are far to small and delicate to be handled by humans. Now, you may soon have one on your desk or "in your kitchen", according to these inventors. Technically, this device is called an "additive fabber", last discussed in this blog in 2005 "Additive Fabbers: Build it yourself from raw materials", and a related topic on molecular fabrication in 2006 "Timeline for Molecular Manufacturing"



"You can't put chocolate in an industrial fabber or you'll void your warranty" says one of the inventors in this short video, "but with this, why not use chocolate if you want?". Think of it like printing, but instead of a document or picture, you send a model / description of an object (a cell phone, a bottle, whatever) to the device. Then "go get a cup of coffee" say the inventors and when you come back, voila' presto chango there is your object.

The plans for the device will be posted free on the internet. The video is interesting but only shows it making a cup out of some gluey plastic substance. Still, major progress in low-cost home fabbers! Believe it or not, this is the future. You will one day have a personal fabricator.