Editor’s choice: interfacing humans with machines

Interfacing people with machines is often portrayed in popular media as a futuristic endeavour, but a great deal of research is happening in the present day. From tech giants studying the biomechanics of the hand and screen-clicking frequency during a smartphone break, to laboratories and clinics creating neuron-decoding algorithms and smart cochlear implants, man-machine interfacing has become a new addition to our everyday reality that’s here to stay.

Here, we bring together some of Scientific Reports’ latest research into the state-of-the-art methods and prototypes in the research of man-machine interfaces. The research showcased as part of this Collection furthers our progress towards seamless communication between the human nervous system and the external or virtual reality.