Lightning-fast connections between robotic limbs and the human brain may be within reach for injured soldiers and other amputees with the establishment of a multimillion-dollar research center led by engineers at Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas, Texas.
Complete neurophotonic interface. Image courtesy of Southern Methodist University.
Neuroscientists at the new Neurophotonics Research Center have been challenged to develop a two-way fiber optic communication between prosthetic limbs and peripheral nerves, according to an SMU press release. Successful completion of the fiber optic link will allow signals to be sent seamlessly back and forth between the brain and artificial limbs, allowing robotic prosthetic hands, arms, and legs to move more realistically, as well as “feel” sensations such as pressure and heat.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding the $5.6 million center with industry partners as part of its Centers in Integrated Photonics Engineering Research (CIPhER) project, which aims to dramatically improve the lives of the large numbers of military amputees returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The goal of the Neurophotonics Research Center is to develop a link compatible with living tissue that will connect powerful computer technologies to the human nervous system through hundreds or even thousands of sensors embedded in a single fiber. Unlike experimental electronic nerve interfaces made of metal, fiber optic technology would not be rejected or destroyed by the body’s immune system.
Beyond the value to prosthetics, researchers foresee man-to-machine applications that may extend to brain implants for the control of tremors, neuro-modulators for chronic pain management, and implants spinal cord injury patients.
“Enhancing human performance with modern digital technologies is one of the great frontiers in engineering,” said Marc Christensen, center director and electrical engineering chair in SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering. “Providing this kind of port to the nervous system will enable not only realistic prosthetic limbs, but also can be applied to treat spinal cord injuries and an array of neurological disorders.”
SMU is joined by researchers from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of North Texas, Denton; as well as industry partners Lockheed Martin (Aculight), Plexon, Texas Instruments, National Instruments, and MRRA.
“Science fiction writers have long imagined the day when the understanding and intuition of the human brain could be enhanced by the lightning speed of computing technologies,” said Geoffrey Orsak, dean of the SMU Lyle School of Engineering. “With this remarkable research initiative, we are truly beginning a journey into the future that will provide immeasurable benefits to humanity.”
