Thinking of child's play

To translate thought into robotic actions, Advanced Telecommunications Research and Honda rely on functional magnetic resonance imaging to "read" the mind. But other methods exist. Duke University neurobiologist Miguel Nicolelis, for instance, implanted electrodes in a monkey's brain to manipulate a robot arm. In the hope of helping disabled people communicate, other groups have used electroencephalography [EEG] to translate human thoughts into computer commands via noninvasive means such as caps covered with electrodes. Researchers also experiment with a brain-scanning method using magnetic fields called magnetoencephalography (MEG).