They then disconnected the robot from the lever and the rats' brain signals were sent to a computer which interpreted them to drive the robot. Although the animals continued to press the lever for a while, they soon realized it was unnecessary and obtained water just by thinking about the movement. Previous attempts to control machines by brain activity have used indirect methods of electrical activity on the scalp or microscopic movements of muscles that allow only a crude level of control. The new experiment is the first to tap directly into the brain, which is a faster method and potentially more precise. Chapin said the next step would be to develop the system in rats to control robotic movements in three dimensions.
Human tests lie in the future.
Bergen Record Corp.