The human brain is just like a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is to a computer. The brain controls all the activities we carry out during the day. It regulates and sends signals to all the process that needs to be done. The senses of touch, feel, vision, speech, and taste are all felt by the brain’s functions. The different emotions, thirst, hunger, temperature rise, and fall, are only because our brain makes an integral part of the CNS (Central Nervous System).
Serious health issues like heart stroke, memory loss, vision, and paralysis can occur without proper brain functioning.
Technology has proven to be a friend to humans in every possible way. BCI Industry (Brain-computer interface) is a boon to dangerous patients when the brain does not work in this scary moment.
BCI (Brain computer or Brain Machine Interface) is network connectivity between the brain and a machine, usually a computer or a robotic device.
How does it operate?
Technological advancements have practically made almost everything possible. The Brain-computer interface system connects microelectrodes in the brain where signals are sent from the brain to the computer, which analyses all the activity, malfunctioning and rectifying the disability externally.
Ex: In 2004, a trial was made by the brain Gate system through Cybernetics where a patient could control the movements of the cursor in the computer just by thinking about it. Disability issues where a patient has lost mobility are treated by passing signals to the arm muscles and initiating a move to function his arm movements.
Technology Change
- Thoughts-to-Text technology – As humans, we use applications that benefit us for time and effort saving in work. Voice text is regularly used, but in BCI, the thoughts running in our mind are read by the interface and converted into speech even without speaking or writing.
- Employees Productivity – Companies usually have a 9-5 working hours policy. However, it’s not practically possible to be productive all the time. BCI wearables could identify the person’s attentiveness and alert them to take a break from work for a few minutes to become fresh again and improve their productivity.
- Life-Saving Device- Road Accidents kill many due to high speedometer levels or later night driving. Still, with a brain-machine interface, an alarm could be triggered and disagree from running the car or tricks when drowsiness is detected in the brain.
- Computer Gaming – Gamers can benefit by using BCI to play video games through their minds. Their alertness can all be managed through this.
Limitations
- Side effects on the brain cells – BCI uses a biomedical interface and directs the activities. Still, to accept it as a part of healing patients, complete trust cannot be ensured as the side effect of this therapy could be harmful to humans on the scar tissue of the brain.
- Signalling issue outside the skull – Direct connectivity can happen when the electrodes connect with the head. Still, since that could harm if connected outside the skull area, the activities may not perform very well.
- Huge capital investment in technology development- Brain-computer interface is a great bonus point to the healthcare industry and technology. Still, the investment in floating this idea is a costly affair.
Technology always comes with positive and negative traits; it’s finally up to us to choose the area we wish to focus upon.
Ideas and concepts
Out of the box, innovativeness, creativity, beneficiary concepts, start-ups get successful in the industry, and brain- the computer interface is a trending concept in global communities.
The brain-computer interface market is expected to reach USD 4.97 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 12.81% for 2022- 2030.
Researchers and scientists have invested many years in a direct communication link between computers and humans. Through the interface of brain-machine signal processing, it is curing many ailments by being a solution seeker in many forms.
