Telekinesis Made Real: BCI technology

Taking brainpower to another level

Published in

Insights of Nature

6 min readJan 20, 2023

Possessing the power of telekinesis was once thought of as impossible. Today, though, you can move just about anything with your mind…with the power of tech.

BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE TECHNOLOGY

Brain Computer Interfaces (or BCIs in short terms) is a direct communication pathway between the electrical activity of the brain and a separate device, like a robotic hand or a computer. This means that the power of the brain is actually able to meld with technology and control it.

As incredible as it is, this technology has actually been around for decades, and has continued to develop since.

With numerous benefits for the healthy and disabled, and like improving cognitive abilities, rehabilitation, BCI technology has massive clinical and non clinical applications.

And it all starts with an electroencephalogram- or an EEG machine.

WHAT IS AN EEG?

An EEG is a device that records the electrical activity of the brain. Unless surgery is required, EEGs are non-invasive and relatively easy to use; placed on the head, the device contains electrodes, which are tiny, cup-shaped discs that are attached to the scalp surface to pick up tiny electrical charges. These little charges are the result of your brain activity.

Invasive EEGs, like the name suggests, are actually implanted inside the skull for a more accurate output. For example, a disabled person would have a surgically implanted EEG in order to operate a prosthetic leg as efficiently as possible.

NEURONAL FIRING

Every time we think, feel or move, our neurons- which are tiny, wire-like nerve cells- are at work. Those actions are carried out by small electrical signals that zap from neuron to neuron- a bit like the circuits in your computer!

To understand how a neuronal firing, though, we’ll take a look at the three parts of a neuron:

Soma
Axon
Dendrites

The soma is the cell body. It processes information and determines the importance of transferring the information to other cells.

Dendrites, which resemble branch-like structures, gather and receive information from other neurons to relay to the soma.

Axons are wire-like structures that pass information from neuron to neuron. It is insulated with a fatty substance called myelin, which keeps the electrical flow strong.

Typically, an EEG doesn’t record the activity of a single neuron- but rather the activity of a large group of neurons which are active at the same time, which is called action potential.

So, when you clench your jaw or move a finger, an electrical signal is generated, which then is picked up by the EEG and creates an output of displayed brainwaves.

BRAINWAVES

BCI technology is based on the concept of neuronal firing by measuring the number of neurons firing per second. For example, the frequency and amplitude of the brain waves. The changes in voltage is what is measured with the help of the aforementioned electrodes.

Very different from what you’d see at the beach ;)

Categorized into five types, these brainwaves signify different mental states:

Gamma
Beta
Alpha
Theta
Delta

Gamma, which has a frequency from 32 to 100 Hz is when the mind is particularly observant with heightened perception. Beta, with the frequency of 13–32 Hz, is when the mind is thinking and alert. Alpha, from 8–13 Hz is when the mind is in a state of mental and physical relaxation. Theta (4–8 Hz) is creativity and insight, with a reduced consciousness, and finally, Delta- which is 0.5–4 Hz- is a deep state of sleep and loss of bodily awareness.

So, with the help of these brainwave frequencies, an EEG is able to acquire the data, digitize the signal, process the signal and apply it.

LOTS OF…NOISE?

Let’s say you want to make yourself a delicious, steaming mug of coffee (I know- trust me, it’ll make sense in a minute). As you prepare the drink, you strain out the coffee grounds as you pour it into a cup.

So, you’re basically filtering out unwanted parts.

In a similar manner, working with neurotechnology means having to deal with a lot of noise. By noise, I mean random or unwanted signals that are disrupting the signals you’re attempting to record (just like the coffee grounds in your coffee!).

When it comes to an EEG recording, like the previously mentioned action potentials, there are electrical signals both inside and outside the body- like a heartbeat or nearby power source that can generate noise.

So, these BCI signals are filtered at either a software or hardware level, and the idea is to get rid of signals that aren’t neurological in origin.

Despite looking intimidating, this graph’s main functions are easy to understand! This is what is called a Band Stop filter, which is able to remove a specific frequency band from the data. So, if any unwanted noise were distorting the neurological data, it would block out a specific frequency while letting another frequency pass.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE ENDLESS

Now that we’ve understood EEG’s, how it picks up signals and how to keep any unwanted data out of the way, what are some of the applications of this incredible technology?

In 2016, DARPA’s revolutionizing program- which has over 100 million dollars of investment- reported that their project called Modular Limb project was able to accurately give the sensation of touch through brain controlled prosthetic limbs.

A volunteer for the project was able to identify which of the robot’s fingers was being touched with 95 percent accuracy while being blindfolded! A patient with tetraplegia was actually able to use her mind to reach out with a robotic arm and take a sip of coffee, which she hadn’t been able to do for the past fifteen years, requiring help from caretakers.

But this is just a limb. What if someone was able to control…an entire exosuit?

For patients with paralysis or neuromuscular disorders, BCI technology has allowed them to regain the ability to stand upright, turn, climb and descend stairs.

WHAT’S NEXT?

BCI technology has major clinical and non clinical applications- from controlling prosthetics to video games and Virtual Reality, the uses for this ‘mind-blowing’ technology are endless.

SOURCES

Thanks so much for reading this article! I hope you find BCI tech as awesome as I do. Please feel free to connect with me on my social media platforms if you want to learn more about myself, my projects and articles!

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