Part of technology’s promise is that it will enable us to exceed
our natural capabilities. One of the areas where that promise
is most apparent is brain-machine interfaces (BMIs), devices,
implanted into your brain, that detect and decode neural
signals to control computers or machinery by thought.
Perhaps the best example of BMIs’ potential came in October
2019 when Thibault, a paralysed Frenchman, used one to
control an exoskeleton that enabled him to walk. What’s
currently holding BMIs back, however, is the number of
electrodes that can be safely implanted to detect brain activity
and that, being metal, the electrodes can damage brain tissue
and will eventually corrode and stop working.
But last July, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk announced his
company, Neuralink, could provide a solution. Not only does the
Neuralink BMI claim to use more electrodes, they’re carried on
flexible polymer ‘threads’ that are less likely to cause damage
or corrode. But it’s difficult to know for sure how realistic these
claims are, as the company has remained tight-lipped about the
technology. Furthermore, it’s yet to be trialled in humans.
Even without BMIs, exoskeletons are already being used to
augment human capabilities, particularly for people whose
capabilities might be limited as a result of illness or injury. At
Hobbs Rehabilitation in Winchester, specialist physiotherapist
Louis Martinelli uses an exoskeleton that straps on to a
patient’s back, hips, legs and feet to help them stand and step.“If the patient has had a really severe spinal cord injury, this is
the only way to get them up and stepping sufficiently across
the room,” he says. “It’s been shown to be really beneficial,
particularly for blood pressure management, reducing the risk
of vascular diseases, and bladder and bowel function.”
With the exoskeleton, only one to two physiotherapists are
needed to assist the patient rather than a team of four or more.
But it also allows the patient to achieve a lot more – taking
several hundred steps during a session instead of the 10-20
with conventional therapy. There are potential applications
elsewhere – upper body exoskeletons are being trialled in a US
Ford manufacturing plant to help people carry heavy car parts.
But as useful as lower-body exoskeletons are, they’re
unlikely to replace wheelchairs anytime soon. That’s partly
because they struggle with uneven surfaces and can’t match
walking speed, but also because they’re so much more
expensive. Wheelchair prices start in the region of £150,
whereas an exoskeleton can set you back anywhere between
£90,000-£125,000. This is why Martinelli would like to see the
technology get a little simpler in the years to come.
“What I’d like to see is the availability of these pieces of
equipment increase because they’re very expensive. For
individuals to get access to an exoskeleton is really difficult,
maybe a simpler version that was half the price would allow
more centres or more places to have them.”BRAIN-MACHINE INTERFACES AND HUMAN AUGMENTATION
Exoskeletons will help the paralysed walk again and keep factory workers safe12This
groundbreaking
mind-controlled
exoskeleton
enabled Thibault
to move all four
of his paralysed
limbs