The Wadsworth Center Brain-Computer Interface System
Wadsworth BCI, contact:
Clinical Programs Development
Wadsworth Center,
NY State Department of Health
518-486-2893
Progress in medical science now enables people with severe paralysis to live for many years. Many of these individuals have great difficulty communicating. Some may even be entirely "locked in" to their bodies: their minds are functioning perfectly, but they cannot move a single muscle to communicate in any way. The capacity for simple communication could greatly improve the quality of their lives.
The Laboratory of Neural Injury and Repair at the Wadsworth Center has addressed this problem by developing a new generation of brain-based communication devices (brain-computer interfaces or BCIs) that can provide communication and control functions to people who have lost muscle control. By recording brain waves from the scalp and then decoding them, this system allows people to move a computer cursor up/down and left/right, to spell words, and even to control a robotic arm.
The BCI home system
BCI FAQs
- What is the purpose of
brain-computer interface technology? - How does a BCI work?
- Are all BCI systems the same?
- Is Wadsworth’s portable BCI
system available for in-home use? - Who is eligible to participate in these BCI studies?
- How many people have been provided with the
Wadsworth BCI system? - What are the training and technical requirements for in-home use?
- How much does the system cost?
- Can anyone purchase a system and be trained?
- What is needed for the Wadsworth BCI system to become widely available?
- What other resources are available for disabled individuals who may not have access to BCI technology at this time?