Scientists have developed a brain-computer interface device that can translate thoughts about speech into spoken words in real time, providing a voice to those who are unable to speak. The experimental device was tested on a woman with quadriplegia who had not spoken for 18 years following a stroke. The device converts the woman’s intent to speak into fluent sentences without a delay, a significant advance in the field of brain-computer interfaces for speech.
The device works by recording the woman’s brain activity while she silently speaks sentences in her mind, then using a synthesizer to create speech sounds that she would have made before her injury. An AI model translates the neural activity into units of sound, allowing for a seamless stream of speech. This approach, which processes speech on the fly in chunks of about half a syllable, has the potential to keep up with the natural pace of speech and improve the naturalness of speech generated by the device.
While more research is needed before the technology is ready for wide use, the researchers believe that with sustained investments, it could be available to patients within a decade. The work was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health and has the potential to revolutionize communication for individuals who are unable to speak.
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