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Man Learning to Speak Through Computer

by Tim Stevens on October 3, 2008 at 03:45 PM

We've all seen or heard footage Stephen Hawking using an interface on his wheelchair to speak, but he's relying on his limited ability to move in order to construct those sentences. 25-year-old Erik Ramsey tragically suffered an accident that left him unable to control any part of his body except for one thing: looking up and down. That was nearly nine years ago, and he's now undergoing training with a device wired directly into his brain that may allow him to speak again -- without moving a muscle.

Dr. Philip Kennedy, at the Office of Neural Signals in Duluth, Minnesota, is using Ramsey as his partner in developing a new neural speech technology. Kennedy sent Ramsey through an MRI and watched the patterns in his brain as he mentally vocalized saying different sounds. He's now working with Ramsey to train a computer, monitoring for activity in those areas of his brain and turning that into speech. Ramsey still can't put together words, but is able to make simple syllabic sounds after about a year of training. We'll be following this one in the hopes that he'll actually be able to speak in the not-too-distant future. [From: Esquire, via boing-boing]

Tags: erik ramsey, ErikRamsey, handicap, philip kennedy, PhilipKennedy, speech

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