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By Dominic Maher, 16 October 1998 00:15

NEWS Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia have implanted electrodes in the heads of two disabled volunteers and managed to get them to operate a computer. Scientists inserted hollow glass cone electrodes into the brain's motor cortex - the section that controls body movement - which nerve cells grow into and attach themselves. The volunteers have so far succeeded in controlling the movement of a cursor across a computer screen. Team leader, Dr Philip Kennedy explained to the BBC that if a person thinks of an action, the thought goes through the nervous system and is then transmitted through the electrode to the computer. He added that many more volunteers and several more years of research are needed before the system could be put to practical use. The project aims to make it easier for people with disabilities to communicate and even to aid in the use of artificial limbs Dr Rick Bierton, technology director at Neurascript, which develops recognition software, said: "It's an interesting and worthwhile thing to do." He explained that enabling someone to influence their surroundings like this is very beneficial to people with physical problems. "They have got over the first and main hurdle, which is to get the PC to respond to thought. Even though it's an engineering problem, its one that has to be achieved before more progress can be made," he said. Bierton added that there could be many uses for this type of technology, for example, the creation of cyber guide dog.