Cyborgs are an extremely common element found in the science fiction genre. The US military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), however, is attempting to bring cyborgs out on to the battlefield.
A cyborg is defined as “a person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body”.
Goal
Their new research program, entitled Neural Engineering System Design (NESD) has recently been publicized. Its goal? To literally turn US military members into cyborgs, allowing them to directly connect to computers. NESD hopes to accomplish this goal by creating what has been referred to as an “implantable neural interface”.
The interface will measure approximately one cubic centimeter, which is equal to the size of a sugar cube. It will essentially act as a translator, enabling the brain to communicate seamlessly with various machines and vice versa.
It has been reported that the attached machines would also be able to improve a user’s sense of sight by providing additional digital visual data.
Method
This type of human-computer connection research is not exactly innovative, but DARPA plans to fine-tune the process. NESD manager, Phillip Avelda, elaborates that “today’s best brain-computer interface systems are like two supercomputers trying to talk to each other using an old 300-baud modem.”
Presently, these type or neural interfaces can only connect large numbers of neurons to a machine at a time, anywhere from 100 to 1000. While this may seem like a good thing, bigger is not always better. This is because the neuronal activity of each brain cell is combined during translation. What results is a messy, inaccurate and noisy message.
NESD’s neuronal interface will be more precise, aiming to connect individual neurons. It is said that this would “give much finer control, reduce noise and […] speed up communications between a human and a computer”.
In addition to individual neuron control, NESD will also up the current interface capacity to be able to access an astounding one million neurons at once.
Ultimately, if a success, this interface will provide “unprecedented signal resolution and data-transfer bandwidth”.
Requirements
In order to achieve their goal, NESD states that advances in the following fields will be necessary:
- Neuroscience
- Synthetic biology
- Low-power electronics
Uses
If NESD and DARPA manage to successfully create this type of neuronal software, the possibilities are said to be endless. While all DARPA innovations have the end goal of military use, this type of cyborg software is also attractive for many civil fields, including:- Lost limb replacement
- Sight (and other sense) restoration
- Disease control
- Brain injury and disease
The 2013 Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnology (BRAIN) program, associated with NESD and created by President Obama, has additionally promised to donate over $100 million towards brain disorder and brain damage treatment and cures.Military uses include speedier information transfer in regards to enemy positioning and field instructions.
