DailyTech - One Step Closer to Neuromancer - Brain to Computer Interfaces

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Gadgets One Step Closer to Neuromancer - Brain to Computer Interfaces
Brandon Hill (Blog) - March 8, 2006 4:00 PM

27 comment(s) - last by jskirwin.. on Mar 9 at 10:23 AM

Somewhere Mr. Gibson is smiling smugly

Researchers in Berlin have developed what is essentially a "mental typewriter" that can identify and process commands from the brain and implement them on a computer screen.

The Brain Computer Interface could be a big benefit to people who have become paralyzed and have no physical means to communicate with others. The system can identify individual brain patterns and continually improves its recognition performance with time.

Signals from the brain are measured by 128 electrodes affixed to the subject's scalp, similar to an electroencephalogram (EEG). With the help of a software programme, specific signals are picked out among the nebulous mass of information...The computer's self-learning capacity allows it to identify individual brain patters and constantly improve its performance, says Mueller.

Researchers currently have to affix the 128 electrodes individually to a patient's scalp which can take an hour or more to complete. They hope to be able to develop a “cap-like” contact-free EEG later this year.

The uses to this breakthrough are seemingly endless. The uses in the medical field are vast and I can't even begin to imagine the possibilities for gaming.

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Awsome

By Maximilian on 3/8/2006 4:25:23 PM , Rating: 1

By the time im 80 odd, i can just think myself into my computer and not die :D can live in the house i built for myself on the sims 10!

RE: Awsome

By boobot on 3/8/2006 4:26:27 PM , Rating: 3

And the World just got 10% fatter.

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RE: Awsome

By Exodus220 on 3/8/2006 5:53:22 PM , Rating: 2

10% fatter? Are you implying that actual typing burns enough calories to prevent obesity or becoming somewhat fatter? That seems absurd to me but perhaps some people type while on the treadmill...

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RE: Awsome

By Mclendo06 on 3/8/2006 4:36:52 PM , Rating: 3

quote:
i can just think myself into my computer and not die

Remember the game Total Annihilation?

This could be super cool. I wonder if they might ever figure out a way to get the computer to communicate directly to the brain (right now it can only recieve information from the brain). That could make college a heck of a lot easier, ala Matrix "I know Kung Fu". As for this, though, it would be sweet to be able to type as fast as you think (somewhere around 600 WPM as I recall) as long as you don't mind having short or no hair. There are sooooo many incredible possibilities with this technology, I hope it's pursued agressively.

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Ah yes... its all running to plan

By Plasmoid on 3/8/2006 4:19:40 PM , Rating: 3

The Sci-fi fans on this site must be delighted at this.
Pretty soon we will be able to see if computers can keep up with the speed of Human thought.

If they can do this though... makes you wonder how long it will be before they can pick up the signals for sight, sound and what not and record them... cheap digital cameras anyone?
Maybe the ability to record memorys?

Good to see research going into at least.

RE: Ah yes... its all running to plan

By T1 on 3/8/2006 6:55:43 PM , Rating: 2

It would be so cool to bring my laptop to a movie, and record it through my memory.

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RE: Ah yes... its all running to plan

By Xenoterranos on 3/9/2006 1:37:58 AM , Rating: 2

Actually, that would suck. During boobie shots, that's all you'd get, and the explosions would be too cool for any physical medium to replay. Plus, I tend to zone out during booring parts, and I don't want anything recording what I think about when I zone out :P

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I call BS

By AnotherGuy on 3/8/2006 6:44:25 PM , Rating: 2

I donno but i think it seems to be too much... I mean unreal... cmon now how can it read ur frikin brain... that'd be maybe in 50 years but now now

RE: I call BS

By osalcido on 3/9/2006 1:28:26 AM , Rating: 2

Im glad you finally disproved this hoax

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RE: I call BS

By Griswold on 3/9/2006 5:36:16 AM , Rating: 2

Funny, why dont you buy a ticket to Hannover, Germany and visit their booth at CeBit? You can test it there for yourself.

Alternatively, you can just read the friggin article, where its explained how it basicly works. Its not some mind reader mumbojumbo, its just an EEG (holy cow batman, they got that at almost any given hospital!) and a software to interpret these signals.

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excellent

By Doormat on 3/8/2006 4:25:20 PM , Rating: 2

This is some high quality 21st century shit here. Now if I could only manage to concentrate hard enough to keep my brain on one task at a time.

RE: excellent

By Xenoterranos on 3/9/2006 1:38:49 AM , Rating: 2

I could see it now, the instant it's hooked up, the computer is infested with porn adware.

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Exo Squad...

By Cygni on 3/8/2006 6:07:34 PM , Rating: 2

The day when i can plug a big ass thing into my neck and walk around in a big mech suit blowing shit up is going to be a damn good day.

PS, Exo-Squad was a good cartoon.

RE: Exo Squad...

By modestninja on 3/8/2006 8:41:17 PM , Rating: 2

Yeah, that was my favourite... If only they'd release it on DVD.

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Do we really want this Technology yet?

By PsyberXtreme on 3/9/2006 2:59:48 AM , Rating: 2

I can see it now, the police or government suspect you of something, drag your butt in for questioning; but this time they don't just ask you questions, they force a cap on your head and begin recording everything you are thinking of while you are being questioned... Yes... the dawn of a bright new era.

RE: Do we really want this Technology yet?

By Griswold on 3/9/2006 5:38:19 AM , Rating: 2

That would be something different, as this device reads only signals produced when you think about something simple as "move my left arm" for moving the mouse pointer left and "move my right arm" for moving the pointer to the right.

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Jack in

By codeThug on 3/8/2006 5:21:11 PM , Rating: 3

Dread at control mon....

Awesomeness

By DangerIsGo on 3/8/2006 8:19:50 PM , Rating: 3

All about gaming. Definitely a winner in that field. As for military useage, think of controlling a drone (and its weapons) with just thinking it. The possibilities are definitely endless.

learning curve

By bobsmith1492 on 3/8/2006 4:22:36 PM , Rating: 2

I can imagine there would be quite a learning curve to these devices. You would have to learn to "think hard," I'd imagine, in order to create clearly repeatable patterns for it to pick up. However, that would be something you could become very adept at with practice. It might make gaming faster, with a LOT of practice. Right now, your hands are connected fairly quickly to your brain, but there is some "latency" there which could be eliminated by a "direct" connection to the brain. I'm sure the uses would be, as stated, mostly for the handicapped. Hook that up to a mechanical exoskeleton, and paralysis could be a thing of the past. Next, they need a backpack-sized nuclear reactor... ah, the possibilities are endless.