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TECHNOLOGY

DARPA Wants to Install Transcranial Ultrasonic

Mind Control Devices in Soldiers' Helmets
By Clay Dillow
September 9, 2010

Standard Issue Mind Control

DARPA wants ultrasound-enhanced helmets that allow soldiers to stimulate certain regions of their brains.

DARPA has been trying to crawl inside the minds of soldiers for a while now, but a new
ultrasound technology could let them get deeper inside than ever. Working under a DARPA
grant, a researcher at Arizona State is developing transcranial pulsed
 ultrasound technology
✖
that could be implanted in troops' battle helmets, allowing soldiers to manipulate brain

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Manipulating the brain to enhance warfighting capabilities and maintain mental acuity on
the battlefield has long been a topic of interest for DARPA and various military research labs,
but the technology to do so remains limited. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), for instance,
requires surgically implanted electrodes to stimulate neural tissues, while less-invasive
methods like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) possess limited reach and low spatial
resolution.

But Dr. William J. Tyler, an assistant professor of life sciences at ASU, writes on the DoD's
"Armed With Science" blog: "To overcome the above limitations, my laboratory has
engineered a novel technology which implements transcranial pulsed ultrasound to
remotely and directly stimulate brain circuits without requiring surgery. Further, we have
shown this ultrasonic neuromodulation approach confers a spatial resolution approximately
five times greater than TMS and can exert its effects upon subcortical brain circuits deep
within the brain."

Tyler's technology, packaged in a warfighter's helmet, would allow soldiers to flip a switch to
stimulate different regions of their brains, helping them relieve battle stress when it's time
to get some rest, or to boost alertness during long periods without sleep. Grunts could even
relieve pain from injuries or wounds without resorting to pharmaceutical drugs. More
importantly, in the periods after brain trauma ultrasound technology could reduce swelling
and metabolic damage that is often the root cause of lasting brain damage.

[Armed With Science via Danger Room]

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