[games_access] Interesting News Bit

[Robert Florio]

Is the Cyberkinetics Co. the same people that make the brain fingers black
strap that goes around the forhead to play video games?  I really wish they
somebody would develop that strap into a playable video game especially for
using devices like controlling wheelchairs and robotic arms that would be so
cool.

Robert

-----Original Message-----
From: games_access-bounces at igda.org [mailto:games_access-bounces at igda.org]
On Behalf Of hinn at uiuc.edu
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:44 PM
To: IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List
Subject: [games_access] Interesting News Bit

This just in from the AP -- sounds like we need to check out these
researchers at Wash U and invite them to the SIG! :)

- Michelle

Scientists Study Brain Using Video Game

- - - - - - - - - - - -

By JEFF DOUGLAS Associated Press Writer

October 26,2006 | ST. LOUIS -- The teenager jukes missiles and blasts aliens
in the video game. But it's his brain, not his thumbs, doing all the work.
The 14-year-old, part of a study at Washington University, played the
old-school video game "Space Invaders" by simply using his brain as a
controller.

Researchers hope the study ultimately leads to development of more advanced
devices that use brain commands to control things such as artificial limbs
and wheelchairs.

"My real motivation for this is helping people with disabilities," said Dr.
Eric Leuthardt, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the university's
School of Medicine. "We chose to do a video game because we knew a teenage
patient would be into it."

The teen, who did not want his name used, suffers from severe epilepsy and
was experiencing daily seizures. Neurosurgeons had to remove a piece of his
skull to treat a small part of the brain causing the seizures.

Researchers knew that with the brain exposed for the operation, they had a
rare opportunity to use it for a study of ultrahigh brain frequencies.
Leuthardt invited the teen to participate, and he agreed. The study is the
first of its kind on an adolescent, Leuthardt said.

The teen was hospitalized to wait for a seizure to happen so doctors could
locate the problem and treat it.

Wires attached to the surface of the teen's brain sent electric signals to a
computer to help them locate what part of the brain was causing the seizures
and remove it.

Using those same wires, the teen was ready to try "Space Invaders," an early
video game in which the player tries to shoot down invading aliens amid a
counterattack.

At first, the teen tapped his right hand to move his spacecraft one way, and
moved his tongue to move it another. Eventually, he was able to make those
movements on the video screen simply by using his brain. The "Space
Invaders" laser cannon fired continuously.

Within hours, the teen shot his way to the third level of the game.

"The real breakthrough with this project is the focus on higher frequencies
of the brain. That's where the secrets are," said Daniel Moran, an assistant
professor of biomedical engineering also involved in the multidiscipline
study.

Leuthardt said it was too early tell, but it appeared the teenager could
master commands more quickly than adults.

Washington University did similar experiments in 2004 with adults. In that
experiment, participants used only their brains to control a game similar to
the old arcade game "Pong."

The study was exciting news for John Donoghue, co-founder of Cyberkinetics
Neurotechnology Systems. His Foxborough, Mass.-based company researches
alternative ways for the brain to communicate to the outside world using
devices that translate the brain's electric activity.

Cyberkinetics was among the first to prove that a quadriplegic can drive a
wheelchair with his thoughts and a mute person can communicate sentences on
a computer without saying a word.

"The idea of replacing missing biological connections with a physical bridge
will be moving very fast in the coming years with more research like this,"
Donoghue said.
.......................................
these are mediocre times and people are 
losing hope. it's hard for many people 
to believe that there are extraordinary 
things inside themselves, as well as 
others. i hope you can keep an open 
mind.
 -- "unbreakable"
.......................................
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