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AI Technology to convert Brain Signals of Speech-Impaired Humans

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Science & Technology
  • Published
    10th Feb, 2020
  • Context

    • Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers have developed an Artificial Intelligence technology to convert brain signals of speech impaired humans into Language.
  • Who developed it?

    • A team of researchers lead by Dr. Vishal Nandigana, Assistant Professor, Fluid Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, is working on this area of research.
  • What are signals?

    • Electrical signals, brain signal or any signal, in general, are waveforms which are decoded to meaningful information using physical law or mathematical transforms such as Fourier Transform or Laplace transform.
    • These physical laws and mathematical transforms are science-based languages discovered by renowned scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier.
  • How does it work?

    • The output result is the ionic current, which represents the flow of ions which are charged particles.
    • These electrically driven ionic current signals are worked on to be interpreted as human language meaning speech.
    • This would tell us what the ions are trying to communicate with us.
    • When we succeed with this effort, we will get electrophysiological data from the neurologists to get brain signals of speech impaired humans to know what they are trying to communicate.
  • How was this concept tested?

    • They tested this concept by getting experimental electrical signals through experiments in the laboratory to get signals from nanofluidic transport inside nanopores.
    • The nanopores were filled with saline solution and mediated using an electric field.
  • What are the other applications?

    • The other major application for this field of research is that the researchers can potentially interpret nature’s signals such as like plant photosynthesis process or their response to external forces.
    • The data signal also is going to be in some wave like pattern with spikes, humps and crusts.
    • So the big breakthrough will be can we interpret what plants and nature is trying to communicate to us.
    • This will help in predicting monsoons, earthquake, floods, Tsunami and other natural disasters using our Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning algorithms.
  • What are brain signals?

    • Brain signals are typically electrical signals.
    • These are wave like patterns with spikes, humps and crusts which can be converted into simple human language meaning speech using Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning algorithms.
    • This enabled the Researchers to read direct electrical signals of the brain.
Quick Recap
  • AI Technology to convert Brain Signals of Speech-Impaired Humans—by IIT Madras—lead by Dr. Vishal Nandigana.
  • Fourier Transform or Laplace transform—discovered by Sir Isaac Newton and Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier.
  • Nanofluidics—study and application of phenomena that involve fluid motion through or past structures with features that measure less than 100 nm in one or more directions.
  • Brain signals—are electrical signals—patterns with spikes, humps and crusts.

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