A musician who suffered brain damage was able to experience the joy of playing music once again thanks to brain-reading technology, according to the Telegraph.
Rosemary Johnson, 50, had a promising music career in her future until a tragic car accident robbed her of her ability to speak and move freely. But now, after 27 years, Johnson was able to experience creating music again thanks to the "brain computer music interfacing" technology developed by Plymouth University and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London.
"It was really very moving," said Eduardo Miranda, professor and researcher at Plymouth University. "The first time we tried with Rosemary, we were in tears. We could feel the joy coming from her at being able to make music. It was perfect because she can read music very well and make a very informed choice."
By concentrating on images on the screen, she was able to compose music that was then played aloud by accompanying musicians who sight read her choices in real time, according to Science Alert.
"It's not yet possible to read thoughts, but we can train people to use brain signals to control things," added Miranda. "The great achievement of this project is that it is possible to perform music without being able to actually move. She is essentially controlling another musician to play it for her."
