Brain Link

Scientists from the University of Washington have successfully created the world’s first non–invasive human–to–human brain interface. The new research allows a person to send a brain signal via internet to control the hand motions of another person without any external aid.

Researchers for this purpose used electroencephalography (EEG), a non–invasive procedure in the scalp to record brain activity. The research was undertaken by two researchers who sat at a significant distance from each other in the University campus. One wore a cap with electrodes hooked to an EEG machine that would read electrical activity in the brain and the other wore a swim cap with site for transcranial magnetic stimulation coil placed directly over the left motor cortex that controls the hand movement.

The person with the electrode cap looked at a computer screen with a simple video game on and imagined moving his hand to the fire in the game, without actually moving his hand. The other person who wasn’t looking at the computer screen instantly moved his right index finger as if he was pushing the space bar key in front of him. The movement was the result of a nervous tic established between the two due to the connection.

Scientists, now hope to start an equitable two–way conversation directly between the two brains. It would prove to be a life–saving technique when it comes to piloting an aircraft by a flight attendant, with the help of someone on the ground in case of an emergency or helping disabled persons express themselves even if the two do not speak the same language.