Tech News: It’s all in the mind
Mind reading device, going cheap!.
Well not yet but our American cousins are working on a device that could be as cheap as $30 – $40.
The US Department of Defense is trying to push the development of a device that can detect and display brainwave patterns on smartphones and tablets.
Four companies have been given grants of $100,000 through a research program to develop a low cost device to measure electroencephalography (EEG) which as everyone knows are the voltage fluctuations within the brains neurons. This device would then send the results to an app on a smart device in real time. Phase two would see a possible $750,000 being awarded.
EEG readings are used at the moment to provide information on people with head injuries or those that suffer from seizures but has recently been used for devices that can assist with wheelchair control for disabled people, hands free gaming and market research (evaluating new ads by reading consumer brainwaves).
The devices used for gaming use typically 1 – 4 sensors while a full reading requires at least 19.
The DOD want to see these devices deployed in the standard first aid kit of their soldiers so that anyone exposed to a blast can be assessed instantly.
Further down the development line they see the cap as a development and research tool where crowds of neuroscientists collectively solve problems.
Jedi mind control?
Already proven to work is the combination of EEG and TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as Rajesh Rao at the University of Washington used 2 caps (one of each type) to control the hand of a colleague via Skype. One mind sent the impulse through the EEG cap and the others TMS cap stimulated the motor cortex of his brain and moved his hand. I am sure that this has multiple possibilities for the future, maybe a skilled surgeon could use a bricklayer to do operations in another country?
Being able to see what people are thinking is another possibility for the future, its could be an invaluable tool in education and engineering where detailed explanations could simply be demonstrated by showing the thought process.
I am not sure I want my thoughts broadcast or recorded though.
