Brain-Computer Interfaces: A New Voice for People with Paralysis
17 November 2026
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST
Session Speakers
Cynthia Chestek, University of Michigan
Maitreyee Wairagkar, University of California, Davis
Daniel Rubin, Massachusetts General Hospital
Chethan Pandarinath, Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University
Session Description
Scientists are unveiling new technologies that will allow more paralyzed individuals to communicate with loved ones clearly and conveniently. While previous technologies translated brain signals to speech using a monotone synthetic voice, new advancements enable patients to communicate with cadence, expression, and even in song. Experts will highlight long-term use cases of brain-to-speech technologies and a recent breakthrough in brain-to-text decoding on a smartphone, which holds promise for more widespread use.