(NewsNation) — Researchers at the University of California have developed a brain-computer interface, or BCI, that has enabled a paralyzed woman to communicate through a digital avatar using her thoughts.
“Our goal is to restore a full, embodied way of communicating, which is really the most natural way for us to talk with others,” said Professor Edward Chang in a Guardian report. “These advancements bring us much closer to making this a real solution for patients.”
According to The Guardian, the 47-year-old female patient has been severely paralyzed since suffering a stroke more than 18 years ago.
According to a report by Neuroscience News, the BCI technology harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to interpret the neural activity of the paralyzed woman and convert it into spoken language.
The technology allows the paralyzed woman to “speak” by imagining the act of speaking.
The AI-powered system translated her brain signals into synthesized speech that was then vocalized through a digital avatar, Neuroscience News reported.
The breakthrough has offered hope to individuals who have lost their ability to speak and is a significant leap forward in the field of neurotechnology and its potential to restore communication abilities for individuals with severe physical limitations.