Neurointerface

Neuralink - another ambitious project by Elon Mask to create a neurochip that should connect our brain with the computer.?But there are other neurointellecths that are very different and solve a variety of problems.

A neurointerface (or ?brain-computer? interface) is a device and technology for the exchange of information between the brain and external device: a computer, smartphone, exoskeleton or prosthesis, household appliances, wheelchair or artificial senses.

By the type of interaction, neurointerfaces are unidirectional and bidirectional. The first either receive signals from the brain, or send them to him. The latter can both send and receive signals at the same time. Unidirectional ones already exist and function, while bidirectional ones are only presented as a concept.

By location, invasive, minimally invasive and non-invasive neurointerfaces are distinguished. The first is implanted in the brain, the second is implanted on the surface of the brain, and the third is implanted on the head. The closer they are to the brain, the better they transmit the signal.

Today, there are only two main applications:

Medicine. Neurointerfaces help restore lost brain functions, diagnose neurological diseases. Neuroprostheses allow people with paralyzed or lost body parts to send signals to the muscles of the arms, legs, head and whole body. There are separate robotic prostheses and whole exoskeletons that work in this way.?Neurointerfaces also function as lost organs, such as eyes or ears.

Entertainment. Neuro-interfaces help control actions in VR games, allowing you to play without the help of joysticks or keyboards. There are many ongoing developments that will expand the scope and capabilities of neuro-interfaces.?For example, a biosynthetic material has recently been developed that can be used as a neurochip that connects the brain to artificial intelligence.

According to the Market Research Future report, by 2024 the annual growth rate of the market of interfaces ?brain-computer? will be 15.1%. In 2019, it was estimated at $980 million. The US accounts for 50% of the market.

What are the main problems of technology??

Health risk. The neurointerface refers to invasive and semi-invasive devices. First, there is a risk of brain damage when implanted a chip.?Therefore, Neuralink offers to implant chips with a laser beam rather than drilling. Secondly, where the brain contacts the electrodes, the nerve tissue dies.

The solution can be special substances, which can cover the chips, and then they will ?wrap? nerve tissues. Another option is biodegradable sensors, which dissolve over time.?

Power. Until it’s completely unclear where the invasive devices will get their power.The source can be our body: when the muscles work, they release energy, which is enough to feed mini-devices. For example, when breathing 1?W, and when walking - 50 W.

Inaccuracy. First, in dense brain tissue it is very difficult to find the right nerve to connect the electrode to it.?Second, non-invasive neurointerfaces, in addition to relevant impulses, pick up a lot of noises that need to be able to separate.?Cybersecurity. So far, the neuro-interfaces don’t control our brains or read minds, but in the future, hacking data from these devices could become a serious problem.

Service. The market does not yet have qualified technicians who are able to work with complex neurointerfaces.

The difficulty of the task. The main problem is that we still do not understand how our brain works. So we’re not 100% able to decipher exactly the signals it transmits. Maybe we can solve this problem with machine learning.

In the future, neuro-interfaces will allow us to control a ?smart? house and robots, communicate telepathically and store thoughts in text, audio or video.?

Already today, they can be used to reconstruct images from dreams, cure Parkinson’s disease and other diseases associated with memory loss.

But the main goal of modern neurointerfaces is to maximize the potential of the human brain, which we don’t even know about.