Since the 1970s,scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Braincomputer interface (BCD technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently,two researchers,Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne,Switzerland,demonstrated (展示) a small robotic wheelchair by a person's thoughts.
"Our brain has billions of nerve cells. They send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can pre?vent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles," Tavella says. "Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices."
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan,the team leader,says scientists keep improving the computer software that re?ceives brain signals and turns them into simple commands. "The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped into two categories,communication and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair."
He says his team set two goals. One is testing with real patients,so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technolo?gy over long periods of time.
( ) 5. BCI is a technology that can .
A. help to update computer systems B. link the human brain with computer
C. help the disabled to recover D. control a person's thoughts
( ) 6. How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
A. By controlling his muscles. B. By talking to the machine.
C. By moving his hand. D. By using his mind.
( ) 7. Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 4?
A. scalp—computer—cap—wheelchair B. computer—cap—scalp—wheelchair
C. scalp—cap—computer—wheelchair D. cap—computer—scalp—wheelchair
( ) 8. The team will test with real patients to .
A. make profits from them B. prove the technology useful to them
C. make them live longer D. learn about their physical condition
( ) 9. Which of the following would be the best title for the test?
A. Switzerland,the BCI Research Center
B. New Findings about How the Brain Works
C. BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
D. Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries
