brainwaves
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Facebook is inching closer to a think-to-type computer system
Elon Musk isn't the only one who wants us to communicate via brainwaves. Facebook also has ambitious plans to interface with computers using wearables and one day let us type rapidly with our brains. Now, neuroscientists from the University of California, San Francisco (backed by Facebook's Reality Labs) have demonstrated a system that can translate speech into text in real time using brain activity only. While impressive, it shows that the technology still has a long ways to go.
Brain-controlled VR lightshows could lull you to sleep
By most accounts, technology wreaks havoc on our sleep. Even tools meant to help us sleep better can make insomnia worse. But sleep and tech don't have to be mutually exclusive. Artists and researchers from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University have created a virtual reality tool to induce sleep. The device, Inter-Dream, combines ambient music controlled by artists with kaleidoscopic visuals controlled by the user's brainwaves, via EEG.
Researchers can find your deepest secrets by scanning your brain
Verifying your identity with brainwave scans sounds pretty awesome on the surface, but new research from from Texas Tech University shows that EEG identification could be the start of a whole new world of privacy concerns. It's not so much that brainwaves are susceptible to forgery, like fingerprints -- it's that EEG scanning applications can glean a lot more from your grey matter than you might want. Like, for instance, if you're secretly an alcoholic.
Nissan's 'mind-reading' Leaf projects driver reactions on the road
Nissan is no stranger to weird concepts for automobiles. Remember the automaker's Teatro for Dayz selfie wagon? To celebrate the 5th anniversary of its all-electric Leaf, Nissan developed a version of the car that can read a passenger's mind... sort of. After scanning brain waves of first-time test-drivers in the EV with a headset, the special-edition Leaf projected one of over 30 comic-esque messages on the road outside in real time. In other words, folks outside of the vehicle could "see" a general translation of what the driver was thinking. Luckily this is just a concept, so the thoughts that pass through your mind in fits of road rage will remain safe from public view -- for the near future, at least.
Research shows brain waves sync to the music we're listening to
Many of us naturally tap our feet when we want to keep in time with a tricky piece of music. However, researchers at New York University have discovered that this physical technique is but one example of our how our bodies naturally interpret tunes. Deep inside our skulls we have two types of low-frequency brain waves, delta and theta, that automatically synchronise with the music we're listening to. These cortical brain rhythms help us to process the piece -- they perform a similar function in conversation, breaking down syllables, words and phrases so that we can understand what someone's trying to tell us.
BBC experiment lets you control iPlayer with your mind
Instead of grabbing the remote or poking at your smartphone, the BBC thinks the future of TV navigation could lie in mind control. For its latest experiment, the broadcaster is testing a brainwave reading headset developed by This Place that lets you launch iPlayer and choose programmes with your thoughts. The device uses two sensors, one on your forehead and one on your ear, to interpret electrical activity as "concentration" or "meditation." Depending on your preference, focusing your mind will trigger a contextual command, such as launching the app or selecting from one of five programmes on a scrolling carousel. Once the app lands on your chosen TV show, you simply have to "think" until a pink volume bar fills on the left-hand side of the screen. The functionality is basic, but the BBC hopes it can be adapted to assist viewers with disabilities. For now it's just a proof of concept, but maybe in the future we'll all be using brainwaves to tune into BBC Two.
PLX's XWave Sport gives brainwave interfaces a casual look, triggers '80s flashbacks
Brainwave-guided interfaces are common. Most of the time, though, they're not what we'd call subtle. PLX Devices hopes to have that licked through the XWave Sport, a brain interface that disguises all its sensors through a fuzzy, exercise-friendly headband. Underneath the incredibly 1980s-retro (but washable!) look, you'll get about six hours per charge of tracking for concentration, relaxation and other noggin-related data that can transmit over Bluetooth to apps for Android, iOS or old-fashioned PCs. An SDK is available now, but pre-orders for the $100 XWave Sport won't ship until September 20th. That should give us enough time to perfect our Flashdance reenactments.
Axio's EEG headband helps you teach your brain to focus (hands-on)
Usually when an EEG sensor headset graces these pages, it's used to peer into your thoughts or grant the wearer the power to control other gadgets with his or her mind. While such uses have appeal, start-up company Axio has a new EEG headband that aims to help you learn to better control your own brain. It tracks your level of mental focus in real-time and provides positive reinforcement audio feedback when you're mentally locked in. The neoprene band packs a trio of electrodes, a PCB with a Bluetooth radio and audio out, and a battery pack to power everything. It works by identifying the brainwave readings that correlate to ideal executive function in your pre-frontal cortex and shooting that data to your computer or phone via Bluetooth. Axio's software then shows an onscreen graph that charts your focus level in real-time, and for folks who prefer a more literal tracking method, there's a photo above the chart that moves in and out of focus along with your mind. Additionally, the headband provides pleasing audio neurofeedback when you're focused in order to train you to stay mentally engaged.%Gallery-158654% Unfortunately, we couldn't get much more information about the neurofeedback functionality, as the technology behind it is the company's secret sauce, and it won't divulge more until it's got the cash to bring the band to market. We also weren't able to actually test the band to see how it works, as it's still in the prototype phase and there's still a kink or two left to work out. Axio did tell us that the prototype we got our mitts on was the result of just six short months of work, and that after hacking together the original design using Arduino, the current iteration has a custom PCB better suited to Axio's needs. Co-founder Arye Barnehama also informed us that the band should be on sale by the end of summer, though he wouldn't say for how much or where we'll be able to pick one up. Sometime after it hits store shelves, Axio plans to release an SDK so that enterprising devs can make their own focus-aiding software and implement whatever audio feedback they prefer to help them take care of business -- a dose of Bachman-Turner Overdrive ought to do the trick.
Cornell students steer Pong using brain waves, can't quite play during naps (video)
We here at Engadget are always fans of brain wave experiments, and so we were delighted when two Cornell University electrical engineering students, Chuck Moyes and Mengxiang Jiang, wrapped up a final project using brain waves in the best way possible: playing Pong. Their experiment links a baseball cap full of EEG-scanning electrodes to a computer, letting the cap wearer control a paddle using Alpha or Mu waves. Depending on the waves you use, you can move the paddle either by changing your concentration level or by thinking about moving your feet. You won't rack up a high score while napping (or with a teammate narrating over your shoulder), but with a budget under $75, it's hard to find fault. You can grab the source code below, and check out a video of Jiang and Moyes' handiwork after the break. [Thanks, Chuck and Mengxiang]
Sharp FanLabs goes inside soccer fans' minds, measures loyalty with brainwaves (video)
No matter what country you're in, you'll find at least one body-painted sports nut willing to act a fool in the name of fandom. To figure out what makes these hooligans tick, Sharp's setting up trucks outside EuroCup 2012 matches to measure fans' brainwaves using biometric technology. Once inside these mobile FanLabs, volunteers will watch the game while wearing the company's NeuroSky headsets -- a super sensitive EEG that uses dry electrodes to measure cerebral activity. By looking at brainwaves, along with heart rate and vocal excitement, scientists hope to reveal what levels of attention, stress, relaxation and excitement a fan goes through while supporting a specific team. Even if you're not lending your melon to science, you can still join in the fun online, and see how you stack up against fans from around the world. So, bust out the body paint, grab your foam fingers and check out the video after the break.
Brain scanner app lets you show off your smarts on-the-go
Forget learning how to open a champagne bottle with a saber, because this smartphone brain scanner probably has it beat for coolest party trick ever. After you pull out that 14-channel EEG headset you have lying around, all you need to do is attach the probes to your date's dome piece to measure his or her neural activity on your Nokia N900. The app then goes to work, taking binary data and reconstructing it on screen in 3D. The result? A new way to elimi-date Match.com candidates based on the real-time image of his or her melon. We can't promise it'll get you a second date, but we can give you a glimpse of the app in action after the break. [Thanks, arek]
KDDI's mind-reading Android app monitors your brainstorms, or lack thereof... (video)
Ready for an epic brainwave dance-off between Jobs' Jets and Rubin's Sharks? Well, put down your shivs and get back to that alpha state because it's gonna take a little while. Developed by KDDI's R&D labs, this prototype mind-monitoring, sensor-laden headband connects wirelessly to your Android device to let you know just how stressed out you are. All it takes is a simple 30-second game of "mash mash mash the little green robot" (amongst others) to translate your focused and relaxed states into an easily readable brain pattern chart. The tech's nothing we haven't already seen the ominously named NeuroSky do for the iOS platform, but it should help to get those fanboy flames a-blazing. Of course, if mobile OS turf wars don't get your neurons in a tizzy, you could always spend half a minute thinking of your honey -- or actual honey. Whatever floats your neural boat. Video demonstration after the break.
Magnetic fields shut down speech, permit love songs (video)
You already know the strange powers of Stephin Merritt, but today we're talking about real magnetic fields. Powerful electromagnets, it turns out, can do remarkable things to the brain -- in this case, prevent a volunteer from reciting "Humpty Dumpty." The carefully directed magnets temporarily disrupt the brain's speech centers; the volunteer can still sing the rhyme using different areas of the brain, but simply can't overcome a series of stammers when trying to merely recite it. Of course, it's not all mad scientist applications: the UK team experimenting with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) thinks it can help us understand and treat migraines (as we've seen before with the Migraine Zapper), depression, and ADHD, among other ailments. But improving physical well-being doesn't make for nearly as entertaining media -- see the British inflict some involuntary quiet time in the video above.
Japan plans mind-reading robots and brain interface devices 'by 2020'
Our grandparents did warn us that laziness would get us in trouble. The Japanese government and private sector are, according to the Nikkei, all set to begin work on a collaborative new project to develop thought-controlled gadgets, devices ... and robots. The aim is to produce brain-to-computer interfaces that would allow the ability to change channels or pump out texts just with your almighty brain power, while also facilitating artificial intelligence that would be capable of detecting when you're hungry, cold, or in need of assistance. Manufacturing giants Toyota, Honda and Hitachi get name-dropped as potential participants in this 10-year plan, though we wonder if any of them will have the sense to ask what happens when an ultra-precise and emotionless bot is given both intelligence and mind-reading powers. Would it really stick to dunking biscuits in our tea, or would it prefer something a little more exciting?
USF scientists develop brainwave controlled wheel chair
Those crazy kids at the University of South Florida are at it again -- they've given us 'intelligent' scarecrows and engaged an RFID network in the fight against Alzheimer's, and now they're doing some rather interesting work with the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). The device uses an electrode-covered head cap to capture P-300 brainwave responses and convert them into action, such as "typing" or manipulating a robotic finger. The team has developed a motorized "smart wheelchair" that allows users to pilot the chair and even control a robotic arm without any physical movement whatsoever. USF researchers say that this will be a great help not only for those with special needs, but also for the extremely lazy.[Via MedGadget]
Fingercams / brain scanners to make mice and multitouch displays seem archaic
Oh sure, we've known that mice were going the way of the Dodo for eons now, but a nice compilation over at Wired details just how close we are to relying on brain scanners and fingercams (among other unorthodox input methods) to do everything from play games to flip through photo albums. For instance, at Drexel University's RePlay Lab, students are currently "trying to measure the level of neurotransmitters in a subject's brain to create games where mere thought controls gameplay." Another example of how fingers are better used away from the left / right click is FingerSight, a technology that would enable cursor inputs to be, um, inputted by simply waving one's hand around. Unfortunately, the reality of all of this fantastic research is that we're still years away from pushing the fabled keyboard / mouse combo aside, but you aren't apt to find any FPS fanatics kvetching about that.
New bionic limbs to be controlled via brain-mounted sensors
Researchers at Osaka University are redefining "thought-controlled" limbs. Hailed as the first endeavor to dabble in the world of bionic phalanges by requiring open-skull surgery, the research is seeking to develop "real-time mind-controlled robotic limbs for the disabled." Of course, it's not the goal that's striking, but the means. Essentially, gurus working on the project are hoping to place electrode sheets directly on the surface of the brain in order to "obtain a more accurate signal," and amazingly enough, they're currently working to sign up willing subjects that are already scheduled to have brain electrodes added to deal with "monitoring epilepsy or other conditions." Maybe the bionic beings really aren't that far off, eh?[Via Pink Tentacle]
Intelligent dashboard could shut off distractions to improve reaction times
We've already seen whips that brake for us, steer for us and wheel us into that last remaining spot on 5th Avenue without marring someone's BMW, so it follows logic that we'd see vehicles that peer into our minds, too. Research done by a crew at the Technical University of Berlin has shown that a "smart dashboard" could one day deactivate distractions within the vehicle in order to improve driver response if things simply get too hectic. Reportedly, the system could switch off in-car gadgetry (you know, navigators, radios, Hello Kitty headsets, etc.) when one's brain became overloaded in order to speed up reaction time "by as much as 100-milliseconds." Of course, this is assuming that said brain won't melt down even further when that beloved iPod inexplicably shuts off just as Slash gears up for some serious shredding in Welcome to the Jungle, but nevertheless, we applaud the effort.[Image courtesy of TAMU]
Honeywell seeks to use brainwaves to more quickly analyze intelligence data
In a scenario that could have been ripped straight from the pages of Chuck, Honeywell is apparently hoping to monitor analysts' brains in order to more hastily break down intelligence data. The project, which is being supported by DARPA, seeks to key in on electrical activity in the brain in order to flag images as potentially interesting / useful before the human can actually determine what's what. Head mounted sensors would be used to "detect brain signals associated with the recognition of targets analysts are looking for," and the goal would be to increase productivity and help military / intelligence agencies analyze imagery more effectively. Of course, we've no idea how the system will differentiate between a legitimate signal and one triggered by the rumbling of one's belly, but we're sure Honeywell is all over it. [Warning: read link requires subscription]
IMEC reveals wireless EEG headband, Geordi La Forge approves
Make no mistake about it, if Geordi La Forge ever needed a wireless EEG system, this would be atop his list. Developed by IMEC, the same folks who brought us the wireless ECG patch, this wearable contraption enables brain wave monitoring sans the use of batteries. Rather, it relies on body heat dissipated naturally from the forehead for power, which allows it to "operate completely autonomous and maintenance-free." The entire rig consumes just 0.8mW of energy, and it utilizes the company's proprietary biopotential readout ASIC to extract EEG signals, which are then encoded and beamed to a PC via a 2.4GHz wireless radio. As for applications, IMEC is apparently hoping that this creation can be used to detect certain kinds of brain trauma, monitor brain activity and draw all kinds of unwanted attention.[Via MedGadget]
