This talk will be more broad than my own work. I want to speak directly to the theme, and some work from friends and colleagues is well suited. For example, I will show Andy Schwartz's work, since it is neural control of an actual robot
Recent years have seen an explosion of progress in neuroscience enabled by new imaging techniques. This talk will focus on one of these techniques: arrays of multiple microelectrodes can now be implanted into the cerebral cortex of animals to observe neural activity while they interact with their environment. These multisite recordings provide a view of the brain with high spatial and temporal precision. This talk will describe two emerging applications of multielectrode recordings. First, we will explore how neural recordings can be used to control external devices, for example a robotic arm. This technique is beginning to provide paralyzed human beings with control over their environment. Second, multielectrode array recordings allow investigators to observe for the first time the population dynamics of interacting neurons. This affords a new view of brain function. The talk will conclude with some speculation on what the future of neural imaging and neural engineering may hold in store.