DARPA works on chip in the brain that will translate between brains and computers The U.S. military is working to create a chip that can be implanted in a soldier’s brain to connect it directly to computers that can deliver data on an enemy’s position, maps and battle instructions. The implanted chip would essentially create soldier cyborgs that would be safer and better fighters. “Today’s best brain-computer interface systems are like two supercomputers trying to talk to each other using an old 300-baud modem,” said Phillip Alvelda, manager for DARPA’s Neural Engineering System Design program. “Imagine what will become possible when we upgrade our tools to really open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics.” DARPA announced this week that it formed the new program to develop a neural interface — a system working at the intersection of a biological nervous system and a device — that would create “unprecedented signal resolution and data-transfer bandwidth” between the human brain and the digital world. Think of the neural interface as a translator that would turn digital signals into electrochemical language that the brain can read, and vice versa. DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, focuses on emerging technology for the military, wants the neural interface to be no larger than one cubic centimeter, with the volume of two nickels stacked back to back. There are already some neural interfaces approved for use with humans, but they’ve proven to be imprecise and provide a user with a cacophony of information, more like noise than helpful data. DARPA said it wants to improve the technology so the system that can communicate clearly and individually with any of up to one million neurons in a specific region of the brain. For years now, industry players have said that mixing biology and machines is going to create the most powerful technology in the future. More than six years ago, an Intel researcher said that computer chips implanted in people’s brains will control computers – eliminating the need for a keyboard and mouse – by 2020. And nearly four years ago, researchers at Northwestern University reported that they enabled a paralyzed hand to move by using a device to deliver a message from the brain directly to the necessary muscles. Just last September, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California at Berkeley, told Computerworld that in just 10 years we may have computer sensors in the walls of our house, in our furniture — and in our brains. The military’s new research project will involve scientists from various fields, including neuroscience, synthetic biology, low-power electronics, photonics, medical device packaging and manufacturing. The scientists will need to work on advanced mathematical and neuro-computation techniques to translate between biological-electromechanical language and digital ones and zeros. The military is hoping industry players will become partners in the research, offering prototyping and manufacturing services and intellectual property. To pull researchers and partners together, DARPA is hosting a two-day meeting in Arlington, Va. on Feb. 2-3. Related content news analysis Apple earnings: About that iPhone 'slump' in China Based on information from Thursday's earnings report, it seems that data pointing to an iPhone slump in China were over-baked. By Jonny Evans May 03, 2024 9 mins iMac iPhone Apple news Microsoft begins to phase out ‘classic’ Teams Microsoft is encouraging Teams customers to move to the new, faster version of the collaboration app; the older version will be switched off next year. By Matthew Finnegan May 03, 2024 3 mins Microsoft Teams Collaboration Software Productivity Software news analysis Apple confirms it will open up the iPad in Europe this fall The latest efforts to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act mean developers can offer to side load apps to both iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also taken steps to improve what it offers to smaller and non-commercial developers in the By Jonny Evans May 02, 2024 6 mins iPad Apple Mobile Apps news Udacity offers laid-off US workers free access to its courses for 30 days Sign-ups will be available over the next 30 days By Lucas Mearian May 02, 2024 4 mins Technology Industry IT Jobs IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe