The Future of CAD?
Posted by
Andrew Werby
on 2002-05-03 14:38:45 UTC
The Future of CAD
[Scientists at Brown University have announced a breakthrough I consider
similar in significance to Galvani's production of a twich in a dead frog's
leg with electricity. Using an implanted array of electrodes, they have made
it possible for a monkey trained in the use of a mouse to control the
movement of a cursor by mental effort alone, and to do it swiftly and
reliably. They did it, if I understand correctly, by figuring out which
neurons controlled the impetus for the monkey's hand-motion, then sending
impulses derived from these directly to their computer, replacing the mouse
input with the wires leading from the monkey's brain. While this is an early
test, they say they have already figured out how to "grow" the electrodes
into the neurons, and are working on an implantable transmitter, so no wires
would have to exit the brain. While they envision the first use of these
"neuroprosthetics" will be medical- allowing paralyzed people to interact
with their computers- it doesn't take much imagination to realize that no
CAD professionals of the 22nd century will be able to work without their
implants. The scientists have formed a company, Cyberkinetics, to develop
applications for their ideas- see http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com/
In a related development, other lab-coated types at the Downstate Medical
Center in Brooklyn NY have fitted rats with implants wired to tiny
backpacks, which transmit signals INTO their brains, so they can be
remote-controlled like little zombie trucks. While they're talking about
bomb-detection, sewer inspection, and the like, it's not much of a jump to
see this as the future of CAM- or at least cheese-carving... see
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-000031153may02.story?coll=la-news-sci
ence ]
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com
[Scientists at Brown University have announced a breakthrough I consider
similar in significance to Galvani's production of a twich in a dead frog's
leg with electricity. Using an implanted array of electrodes, they have made
it possible for a monkey trained in the use of a mouse to control the
movement of a cursor by mental effort alone, and to do it swiftly and
reliably. They did it, if I understand correctly, by figuring out which
neurons controlled the impetus for the monkey's hand-motion, then sending
impulses derived from these directly to their computer, replacing the mouse
input with the wires leading from the monkey's brain. While this is an early
test, they say they have already figured out how to "grow" the electrodes
into the neurons, and are working on an implantable transmitter, so no wires
would have to exit the brain. While they envision the first use of these
"neuroprosthetics" will be medical- allowing paralyzed people to interact
with their computers- it doesn't take much imagination to realize that no
CAD professionals of the 22nd century will be able to work without their
implants. The scientists have formed a company, Cyberkinetics, to develop
applications for their ideas- see http://www.cyberkineticsinc.com/
In a related development, other lab-coated types at the Downstate Medical
Center in Brooklyn NY have fitted rats with implants wired to tiny
backpacks, which transmit signals INTO their brains, so they can be
remote-controlled like little zombie trucks. While they're talking about
bomb-detection, sewer inspection, and the like, it's not much of a jump to
see this as the future of CAM- or at least cheese-carving... see
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-000031153may02.story?coll=la-news-sci
ence ]
Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com