Pardo: Silicon Valley Software Engineer Develops Neural Lace
Video on YouTube shows developer controlling a drone and IoT devices with a computer-connected EEG, with research making steady progress
SAN FRANCISCO – July 26, 2017 /MarketersMedia/ —
In March, Tesla, Inc., founder Elon Musk launched Neuralink, a company with a mission of achieving “a closer merger of biological intelligence and digital intelligence.” Futurists have for decades pined for a time when human brains would interface directly with computers, and Musk’s new venture marks a high-profile step in that direction.
Armed with an electroencephalogram (EEG) and relentless ambition, Silicon Valley software engineer named Pardo Walter has been making progress of his own. As a YouTube video depicting his Neural Lace research shows, Pardo has been able to control drones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices through the simple power of thought.
While the technology remains in its early days, maturity could be a lot closer than many assume. A Stanford University study published in the eLife open-access journal in February, for example, described how an “intracortical brain-computer interface” has allowed paralyzed subjects to communicate at “the highest speeds and accuracy levels reported to date.” With researchers stationed at Facebook’s foward-thinking Building 8 working on a “brain-computer speech-to-text interface” meant for the general public, the technology is advancing rapidly.
“Like many others, I’ve long been fascinated by the idea of connecting the human mind directly to computers,” Pardo said. “As part of my research, an EEG device sends my brain’s electrical activity to the software I’ve created five hundred times each second. From flying drones to controlling IoT devices as seen in my YouTube video, we can already accomplish some pretty impressive things. Through the advent of Machine Learning, we’ll be able to solve problems previously thought impossible.”
The term “neural lace” was first employed by the Scottish author Iain M. Banks in his Culture series of novels and short stories. The concept of a semi-permanent, implantable brain-computer interface soon spread beyond the realm of science fiction to inform the long-term aspirations of digital technologists, medical researchers, and many others.
In recent years, progress toward this potential-filled technology has sped up greatly. Although much research remains to be done, concrete, practical achievements like those detailed in the Stanford study make it clear that neural lace is an idea whose time is arriving quickly. Those interested in the latest developments in the field can stay informed by following Pardo on Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Contact Info:
Name: Pardo Walter
Organization: na
Address: San Francisco, CA 94105
Source URL: http://marketersmedia.com/pardo-silicon-valley-software-engineer-develops-neural-lace/221773
For more information, please visit https://youtu.be/dDAi_tAkj0I
Source: MarketersMedia
Release ID: 221773