Computer deciphers brain signals of imagined writing

New approach to brain-computer interfaces more than doubles the speed at which messages can be relayed.

This is an Inside Science story. A man paralyzed below the neck can imagine writing by hand and, with the help of artificial intelligence software, use electronics hooked up to his brain to translate his mental handwriting into words at speeds comparable to typing on a smartphone, a new study finds. By helping convert thoughts into actions, brain-computer interfaces can help people move or speak. Recently, scientists have sought to help people with disabilities communicate by using these mind-machine interfaces to move a cursor on a screen to point and click on letters on a keyboard. The previous speed record for typing with such devices was about 40 characters per minute. Now, for the first time, scientists have deciphered the brain signals associated with handwriting. They discovered that using "mindwriting," a 65-year-old volunteer equipped with a brain-computer interface could generate up to 90 characters per minute. Such "mindwriting" rivals the speed of 115 characters per minute typically achieved by nondisabled peers the volunteer's age texting on a smartphone.