Brain-computer interface creates text on screen by decoding brain signals associated with handwriting Using a brain-computer interface, a clinical trial participant was able to create text on a computer at a rate of 90 characters per minute just by thinking about the movements involved in writing by hand. Brain-computer interfaces use tiny electrodes to record signals in the brain. Credit: BrainGate.org. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Scientists with the BrainGate research collaborative have, for the first time, used an implanted sensor to record the brain signals associated with handwriting and used those signals to create text on a computer in real time.