Public Lecture: How brain-machine interfaces can improve the lives of persons with disabilities

Nov 19th, 2021

By Jackey Locke

Public Lecture: How brain-machine interfaces can improve the lives of persons with disabilities

Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) are technologies that provide a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. Such technologies could greatly improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities and have shown promise in many applications ranging from controlling computers and wheelchairs using thoughts alone, to helping to recover lost hand function following stroke. Beyond this, researchers are looking into potential uses for BMIs in a variety of non-medical applications, from human performance augmentation to neuromarketing.

In this talk, Dr. Sarah Power, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, will dive deeper into what brain-machine interfaces are, how they work, the current state-of-the-art, and the potential applications for persons with disabilities, as well as the general population. She will also talk about some of the important ethical issues involved in these technologies.

Hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial and the Professional Engineers & Geoscientists Newfoundland & Labrador, the event will be held virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. (NST).

This event is part of Research Week 2021. For this and other events, please visit here.

To join the event via Webex on the evening of Nov. 24, please visit here.

All are welcome.