Brain-Machine Interface Using Brain Surface Electrodes: Real-Time Robotic Control and a Fully Implantable Wireless System

The brain-machine interface (BMI) enables us to control machines and to communicate with others, not with the use of input devices, but through the direct use of brain signals. This paper describes the integrative approach we used to develop a BMI system with brain surface electrodes for real-time robotic arm control in severely disabled people, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. This integrative BMI approach includes effective brain signal recording, accurate neural decoding, robust robotic control, a wireless and fully implantable device, and a noninvasive evaluation of surgical indications.