What have Mike Tyson, Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney and Marlon Brando got in common?
Walt’s famed Belgian Pletinckx
They all enjoyed a spot of pigeon fancying. In fact, Walt’s famed Belgian Pletinckx pigeons still enjoy a life of luxury at Disneyland in Southern California.
And all of them, apart from Iron Mike, may well be turning in their graves at some news that came out of China last week.
You see, scientists at Shandong University have managed to create the world’s first remote control pigeon.
The Chinese scientists planted micro-electrodes into the pigeons’ brains which picked up signals sent by the scientists. This gave the researchers the power that every pigeon fancier dreams of – to control whether the bird flew up, down, left or right.
No practical use for a remote controlled pigeon
Chief Scientist Su Xuecheung didn’t specify any practical uses for the remote control pigeon but did state he was looking forward to putting this technology to practical use in the future.
Now, it’s unlikely anybody’s going to be making any money out of remote control pigeons, turkeys or even swans any time soon, but this story did make me think about a trend we covered about a year ago...
..The use of technology to link the brain of paralysed people to equipment which could help them live their lives more easily –neurotechnology.
One of the companies we looked at was Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems Inc.
Controlling computer games with your brain
Cyberkinetics had developed a system known as the ‘Braingate’ which allows paraplegics to control simple functions on a computer – such as the early ‘bat and ball’ computer game ‘Pong’.
It was hoped this technology could eventually be used to control robotic limbs.
Technology that could repair damaged spinal cords
Now Cyberkinetics are pushing forward with technology that could be used to repair acute spinal cord injuries. Early tests have shown that the technology can be used to improve sensation and even the movement of arms and hands if used soon enough.
This technology is called Andara OFS Therapy. The American regulatory authorities have designated the product an HUD or Humanitarian Use Device, which means it could be commercially available towards the end of 2007.
It may be worth keeping an eye on how the market takes to the product and how effective it will be.
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