Brain­-machine interfaces: Science, engineering, and application

Our Vision

Future brain­-machine interfaces will transform medicine, technology and society. The coarse neural stimulators currently used to treat illnesses ranging from deafness to Parkinson’s disease will be replaced by a new generation of devices that both sense and stimulate the human nervous system, interacting with the brain using its native code. Tens of millions of people suffering from blindness, paralysis and other neurological injuries or diseases, stand to benefit from this advance. Future devices will likely not only restore, but also augment, human capacities. Stanford’s strength in neuroscience, technology, and medicine, and its proximity to and close interactions with Silicon Valley’s technology firms, make it the right place to lead the world in developing brain­-machine interfaces of the future. We propose an integrated program to revolutionize brain-machine interfaces. We will assemble the expertise at Stanford in the diverse areas necessary to substantially advance the science, to seed the creation of new technologies, and to establish a research and training program in brain-­machine interfaces unmatched in the world.