Paralyzed Woman Controls Robotic Arm With Her Brain to Take a Sip of Coffee
- Posted on May 16, 2012 at 4:03pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
For the first time in more than 15 years, Cathy Hutchinson took a sip of coffee without the help of a caregiver. Hutchinson, who became a tetrapelegic after suffering a stroke, had assistance in achieving this feat, but she controlled the whole situation with her own mind.
Hutchinson stared down the cup of coffee and with technology monitoring her brain activity, she controlled a robotic arm that brought the cup to her so she could take a sip.
(Image: Nature YouTube screenshot)
This latest report on mind control of robots, which was published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, comes from scientists at Brown University, the Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island, Harvard Medical School and elsewhere.
It describes how two people who lost use of their arms and legs because of strokes years before were able to control free-standing robotic arms with the help of a tiny sensor implanted in their brains.
Image of the sensor compared to a dime. (Image: Nature YouTube screenshot)
The sensor, about the size of a baby aspirin, eavesdropped on the electrical activity of a few dozen brain cells as the study participants imagined moving their arms. The chip then sent signals to a computer, which translated them into commands to the robotic arms.
The computer was taught how to interpret the brain patterns through practice as the paralyzed participants watched the robot arms move and then imagined that they were moving their own arms the same way. Hutchinson succeeded at picking up the coffee, sipping and putting the cup back down four out of six tries.
“The smile on her face … was just a wonderful thing to see,” said Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a researcher with the Providence VA, Brown and Massachusetts General Hospital.
(Image: Nature YouTube screenshot)
Watch Hutchinson move the robotic arm:
Andrew Schwartz, who is doing similar research at the University of Pittsburgh, said the coffee-sipping was encouraging because it represents an everyday task a paralyzed person might want to do. “I think it’s showing this technology has therapeutic potential,” he said.
But he and others said the technology faces a number of hurdles to widespread use, like reducing its high cost, making it more reliable, and refining the technology. For example, the brain implant now sends signals out with a wire through the skull, and researchers want to develop a completely implanted version that communicates wirelessly.
Learn more about the trial called BrainGate here.
On a similar vein, a separate study was also recently published about an operation on a man paralyzed from the waist down where surgeons were able to connect damaged nerves with undamaged ones, giving him back some function in his fingers.
A terrible car accident in June 2008 left a then 67-year-old man paralyzed no function of either of his hands but some movement in his arms. Now at 71 years old, surgeons from Washington University School of Medicine performed a breakthrough operation to “rewire” his nerves so he can move his fingers.
Medical Daily reports that in the accident, the man crushed his spine at the base of his neck. The plastic and reconstructive surgery team at Washington University recently published success of the operation in the Journal of Neurosurgery, describing how they cut undamaged nerves in the man’s arms and reconnected them with damaged ones that connected to his fingers.
BBC has more on the operation:
Ida Fox, an assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University, told the BBC: “The circuit [in the hand] is intact, but no longer connected to the brain.
“What we do is take that circuit and restore the connection to the brain.”
She said it was a “really novel” and “refreshingly resourceful” way of restoring movement. However, she warned this would never restore normal function. “That isn’t going to happen,” she said.
Watch this video for more from the surgeons on the surgery:
According to the university’s press release, the technique was developed and performed by Dr. Susan Mackinnon, chief of the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Mackinnon originally used the surgery to help patients with arm injuries specifically damaging nerves controlling the thumb and index finger. This is the first time it has been used to help reverse the effects of a spinal cord injury. Mackinnon also said that it is not considered an “overly complex” or expensive surgery either.
“It’s not a hand or a face transplant, for example. It’s something we would like other surgeons around the country to do,” Mackinnon said in a statement.
Still, BBC notes that this surgery is not an easy fix. It was only after eight months that the man began to move his fingers and later learned to feed himself and do a little bit of writing with assistance. It is reported that with more therapy, his function should continue to improve.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments (27)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 575 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 402 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 401 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 372 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 339 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 401 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 402 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 339 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 150 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 401 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Cesium
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 12:37pmWhere’s all the God lovers here to praise him for taking 6000 thousand years to help handicap people.. so benevolent!
Report Post »Dano.50
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:11pmI’m quite surprised at the shortsightedness of some people commenting here.
I don‘t know how much government funding Braingate’s gotten, but as an investor in the company I know it’s not all government funding. (Took a pounding on the stock but that’s beside the point. I’m holding it cause I like the prduct.)
Also, it doesn’t need to be just the handicapped. It has potential uses in the mining industry, the military, space and deep sea exploration, the trades such as deep sea welding, oil production, rescue work, anywhere too dangerous for humans a robot can be built and sent in.
Think out of the box people.
In the days of the Wright brothers, a number of people thought the plane was an interesting distraction but…
On the other hand, info going out, can also mean info going in so…
But then I read too much scifi.
Report Post »Chris2
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:45pm*Scroll down the comment section*
*Don’t see it*
Guys I thought we went over this.
“I didn’t ask for this.”
Report Post »Kihr
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:03pmI am a Navy veteran currently going to college for this degree… The fact that I saw so many ignorant people commenting things along the lines of “waste of money” literally blew my mind. No matter how much prevention is in place strokes/paralysis etc are going to occur. This technology is the future for so many disabled people. This was not a waste of money by any means and will allow soldiers who lose limbs to have them replaced by robotic ones…not just prosthetic limbs that are manually controlled but ones that will allow for as close to normal function as possible. This could apply to anyone, a child who loses a limb in a car accident, artificial limbs/organs that have failed or were lost. (Like the article said similar research is being done at University of Pittsburgh, they were able to get a hand to move several months ago using only thoughts.) This research is essential to advancements in medical care…I still am still reeling over the negative comments on this page. Seriously, talks about welfare people being able to use this to wipe their ass? Technology and Science are not the devil…God gave man the ability to invent…or would you rather get rid of your computer and go back to living without all the technology that “the devil” has provided …ie, phones, electricity, medicine, cars, microwaves, ovens…
Report Post »countryfirst
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:48pmBe careful, Look at what happened to Howard on the Big Bang Theory with is mechanical arm
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:38pmIt makes for a nice headline, but this is completely impractical and useless.
Come back when you can build it for a reasonable cost and it’s portable enough to be practical for something besides a stupid lab demonstration.
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 2:50pmWhen computers were first being invented, they were impractically large and expensive for daily use. Good thing they didn’t listen to people like you, otherwise you’d be telegraphing your comments into blaze headquarters.
Report Post »MAMMY_NUNN
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:20pmWelfare slugs will love it but they have to work faster the need for bathing and wiping their arse are in high demand it will keep their hands free for the cell phone and texting.
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:43amStupid socialist marxist professors trying to help paralyzed people gain independence. When will you get it people, these “experts” are trying to indoctrinate us!!! Wake up sheeple!!!
1 Timothy 2:11-12
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 10:02amHow much government-money(OUR TAX DOLLARS!) did this cost?? Hundreds of millions? How-’bout hireing a “helper”-24/7 for a thousand years—still would not cost as much as this POS! I can see these in the thousands…costing WETHEPEOPLE a few trillion tax-dollars-which we necessarily will have to borrow…from the Chinese…or our PRIVATE-BANK=THE FEDERAL RESERVE! OUR “dollar” is only worth 2cents-gold. WE owe 4-5 times the entire $$ of the entire world. WE are going to payback…with WHAT?????
Report Post »Pro-Palin
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:29amsomebody please pass the jelly and leave the room ……….
Report Post »Deb C
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:33amYes, thats nice and all…but I think our time, money & energy would be better served preventing the stroke in the first place. And, secondly why not try to regenerate the brain cells rather than trying to make her half machine ??
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:35amPeople are working on both preventing strokes and regenerating brain tissue but those are much more difficult and research-intensive projects. This is a nice middle ground while we work towards prevention.
But to say this is a waste of resources is like arguing we shouldn’t bother inventing wheelchairs, we should just spend all of our energy trying to prevent paralysis…
Report Post »Deb C
Posted on June 6, 2012 at 2:22pmIt’s not nice at all
Report Post »schlepnier
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 6:17amcybernetic bodies and cyberbrain ghost syncronization-been around as an idea for decades, once again science fiction is becoming science fact. great news for the diabled.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:53amSex Machine… next :)
Report Post »Chris2
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:46pmGuess you don’t read much news from Japan do you? They just created a responsive bottom that you can molest at your pleasure. No, I’m not making that up.
Report Post »NOT A CRAZY
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:33amVery cool.
Report Post »BeingThere
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 1:24amIf I were paralyzed I’d use that arm to stick a gun in my mouth and pull the trigger … after thanking the scientists of course! :-)
Report Post »salvawhoray
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:19amMy friend just had a heart attack
Report Post »and was taken off of life support last night.
She was only 43 years old.
BeingThere
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 12:54pmI’m sorry for your friend but a quick death is much preferable to a prolonged existence as a shell of your former self, in my opinion.
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on May 16, 2012 at 10:26pmGod gave the scientist a sound mind to create . I think it is pretty cool how technology is growing. Praise GOD.
Report Post »Nick84
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:16amWhy wouldn’t god just not create things like stokes to begin with?
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on May 16, 2012 at 8:42pm“PARALYZED WOMAN CONTROLS ROBOTIC ARM WITH HER BRAIN TO TAKE A SIP OF COFFEE”
When we’ve the capacity to replace all here “paralyzed” limbs with robotic ones controlled by her brain, in what sense is she then still “paralyzed”?
Scientists–doing for man what God would not, and getting no credit for the miraculous, since the dawn of time.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on May 16, 2012 at 7:58pmWhat happens if when taking a sip of coffee, she thinks about something in her eye?. will it follow that thought?
Report Post »The Third Archon
Posted on May 16, 2012 at 8:45pmI’m sure it maps only to the regions of the brain responsible for motor control of the arm that it is simulating, which it LOOKS like is the right. It would be silly if it were correlated to random unrelated (relative to motor control of the specific limb in question) functions of the brain, and probably wouldn’t function as desired (i.e. be controllable in a deterministic way).
Report Post »MammalOne
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 11:40amNo, it looks like the electrode is recording from a small region of her motor cortex – likely the subdivision that is encoding right arm movements. Being distracted will probably make the signal more noisy but I‘ve been reading about these technologies for years and they’re very good at just encoding the intention to move a particular limb.
Report Post »