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Saturday, April 15, 2023

Creating a Breakthrough Thought-to-Text Communication System

 

About Topic In Short:



Who:

Stanford University researchers.

What:

A thought-to-text communication system that "speaks" the thoughts using a brain-computer interface (BCI).

How:

Using intracortical microelectrode arrays to capture high-resolution recordings of its users' brain activity associated with speech.


Introduction:

Over the years, research in neuroscience has enabled experts to create amazing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to help individuals with disabilities regain their lost communication abilities. One such remarkable invention is the "thought-to-text communication system that 'speaks' the thoughts" developed by researchers at Stanford University. In this article, we will take a closer look at the process of creating this ground-breaking system, who it was developed for, why it was developed, and what experts say about it.

The Development of a Neuroprosthesis:

The team at Stanford University developed a neuroprosthesis, a brain-computer interface that captures high-resolution recordings of its user's brain activity associated with speech. The system consists of intracortical microelectrode arrays that record the neural activity of the speech-related cortical areas in the brain. 

Testing the Neuroprosthesis:

To test the neuroprosthesis, the team worked with an individual who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which made it impossible to generate intelligible speech. The neuroprosthesis enabled the subject to think of words, and the system decoded those words at a rate of 62 words per minute. The accuracy of the system was measured at 9.1% for a limited 50-word vocabulary and increased to 23.8% for a 125,000-word vocabulary, which makes it usable. 

The Creation of the Thought-to-Text Communication System:

The Stanford team used the intracortical microelectrode arrays to capture the neural activity of speech-related areas in the brain. A specially trained recurrent neural network (RNN) decodes the recorded neural activity, enabling the system to recognize the words that the subject is thinking. This is how the thought-to-text communication system works. 

Who is the Thought-to-Text Communication System Developed for?

The system was initially developed for individuals who have lost their ability to speak due to illnesses such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, or cerebral palsy. It can help them regain their lost communication abilities by enabling them to "speak" their thoughts. 

Why was the Thought-to-Text Communication System Developed?

The thought-to-text communication system was developed to help individuals with speech impairments communicate their thoughts effectively. The system can be useful not only for those with communication impairments but also for individuals who find it difficult to speak in certain situations, such as in noisy environments. 

Thus Speak Authors/Experts:

The development of the thought-to-text communication system is a remarkable breakthrough in neuroscience. Experts in the field have commented on the system's accuracy and speed, which makes it usable for individuals with speech impairments. According to Professor Krishna Shenoy, who co-authored the paper, "Our goal is to develop a clinically viable speech prosthetic for people who have lost the ability to speak. Such a prosthetic could be transformative for people who currently cannot communicate."

Image Gallery

BDOfThoughtToTxtCommunication

WaveOfThoughtToTxtCommunication

All Images Credit: from References/Resources sites [Internet]


Hashtag/Keyword/Labels:

thought-to-text communication, brain-computer interface, neural activity, speech, neuroprosthesis.

 

References/Resources:

Electronicsforu

 

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…till next post, bye-bye and take-care.

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