Re: Is there anyone researching language translation with nanotechnology?

Dear Matt,

This is my first time answering any question, so allow me answer your 
question in parts. I assume by "language" you mean spoken languages such 
as "English" or "German".

You want to know:

a) Could a chip, if implanted directly in the brain, understand a 
person's thoughts in terms of sentences or "language" from his brain waves?

Ans: There is a technology called Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) which 
allows computers to convert a human being's brain wave patterns into 
meaningful interpretations such as "imagining moving my left hand" (motor 
imagery), or recording the involuntary responses. [1] But this technology 
is very far from being able to interpret "thoughts" in terms of sentences 
or language. For example, the best you might get is that a person is 
hungry. But getting, "I think I would like a sandwich right now" is quite 
far away.

b) Would/Could such a chip be built using nanotechnology?

Ans: I'm not aware of any successful attempts so far being made for 
specifically this purpose. Though the prospects are promising. [2] 
Achieving this has two barriers. The first is building chips using 
nanotechnology (any kind of chips; not specifically for neural implants). 
We're getting there fast, but we're not there just yet. Once we know how 
to reliably and effectively 
manufacture such chips on a large scale, making them talk to the brain 
is the next problem. Today a lot of research is going into how to get 
current silicon chips to talk to the brain matter directly (called 
invasive BCIs). [3] [5]

The problem has been almost solved, but due to the risks involved with 
just going out and putting something inside a person's brain, researchers 
are taking it slow and experimenting with rats and neural cultures in 
petri dishes. They need to go through intensive clinial trials first.

Neurosurgeons today can connect EEG sensors to a person's brain matter 
directly during surgery. [6] So we know for sure this can be done. We just 
need to get it right before we can allow this to be done without the 
constant supervision of a highly-competent expert neurosurgeon.

b) Would language translation is possible and effective?

Ans: Thankfully, automated language translation (machine translation) is 
quite good enough today. SYSTRAN, the leading backend for most of the well-
known online translation services such as Babel Fish, is quite okay. It is 
good enough that a person can understand what the original sentence was 
trying to convey using the translated sentence. Though don't expect it to 
provide perfect translation or to maintain certain properties of spoken 
speech such as implied sarcasam, humor, etc. [4] Naturally the challenges 
of putting such a translation system in the extremely resource-constrained 
(in terms of processing power, memory capacity, battery power) chip will 
need to be figured out.

References:
1. http://www.slate.com/id/2113353/
2. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
236444/nanotechnology
3. http://www.n
inds.nih.gov/funding/research/npp/index.htm
4. http://www.systransoft.com/
5. S. P. Levine, J. E. Huggins, S. L. BeMent, R. K. Kushwaha, L. A. Schuh, 
M. M. Rohde, E. A. Passaro, D. A. Ross, K. V. Elisevich, and B. J. 
Smith, "A direct brain interface based on event-related potentials," IEEE 
Trans Rehabil Eng, vol. 8, pp. 180-5, 2000 
6. http://cms.clevelandclinic.org/neuroscience/body.cfm?id=977