A device that turns brain signals into words

American scientists have created a machine capable of exploiting electrical signals emitted by the brain in order to render them interpretable.

When we speak, our brain sends out different signals so that our lips, our tongue, our mouth and our larynx can be able to coordinate to produce the desired sounds.

From this observation, scientists from San Francisco decided to create a device capable of exploiting this type of signal, in order to recreate complete sentences. This research is a step towards a system that can help severely paralyzed people who are unable to speak.

This research is being conducted by a team from the University of California who has recorded signals from the brain of 5 people with epilepsy. These signals were then interpreted by a system capable of synthesizing speech by giving a rather intelligible result.

Previous research in the field focused on a person's thoughts, while neurosurgeon Edward Chang's focus is on signals from the nerves.

"We exploit the parts of the brain that control these movements. We try to decode them rather than speak directly", Said Dr. Chang.

This interface between a brain and a computer is not yet advanced enough, nor sufficiently simple to use, to help people with disabilities, even if it is a goal set by scientists.

For the moment, it is still necessary to perform an invasive operation to directly connect the sensors to the brain. According to Dr. Chang, there is still no technology that can function and interpret speech outside.