Future Tense Having hundreds of needles injected into your brain may sound more like a torture than a treatment. But the process is already allowing some patients with severe paralysis to control a robotic arm by thought alone. Former US president Barack Obama, centre, speaks with neuro interface patient Nathan Copeland at the University of Pittsburg in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in October, 2016. Photo: AFP Brain-machine interface technology (BMI) is a field of science that's small and relatively new, but it has Silicon Valley brimming with excitement. Big tech is investing millions in the sector with the hope of creating a future where thought-controlled technology is everywhere, one where typing and texting are no longer necessary.