In one experiment, two people connected a to g.BCIsys system played a game of Pong, each controlling movement of the ball by raising or lowering an imaginary racket.
Move over mice and keyboards -- a futuristic brain control interface kit has finally hit the market
Austrian medical and electrical engineering firm Guger Technologies has become the first company to ship a commercial product for controlling computers with thoughts.
The company's Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) kit works on the premise of detecting mental activity via electrophysiological signals, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) or electrocorticogram (ECoG) impulses, and translating them into a control signal. In this way, brain signals can be used for data entry or to move a cursor on a computer monitor.
Controlling devices via brainwaves has long been a staple of science fiction, and while it continues to fuel the imagination, the company points out that there are also many practical uses. One of the primary goals of the effort, which was awarded the European Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 2007 Grand Prize during this week's CeBIT trade show in Germany, is to enable completely paralyzed patients to communicate and interact with their environment.
The g.BCIsys BCI kit can be used with a standard Windows PC, or a Windows Mobile Platform device when paired with a lightweight biosignal recording system called g.MOBIlab. In either case, EEG processing, analysis and pattern recognition can be used to perform rudimentary tasks such as spelling and message composition, or to control a computer game. EEG data is gleaned from a sensor-studded cap, or from direct implants in the brain.
Several research projects involving the g.BCIsys system have been conducted, including scenarios where test subjects used the device to successfully select letters and words, or to control a wheelchair or prosthetic device. The company's BCI technology was also used in the European Community research project “PRESENCCIA,” in which participants were able to navigate through a complex virtual environment using only their thoughts. The experiments were conducted in a highly immersive stereo projection environment called the “CAVE,” at University College in London.
Guger has not publicly announced pricing for the BCI system. The company is a technology supplier to research institutions, government agencies such as NASA, and major manufacturers such as Nokia, Merck, and Sony.
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