From giant electronic computers to wearable devices like Google Glass, the way humans communicate with machines has evolved from complex computer languages to simple body movements; a nod can turn Google Glass on or off, and a blink can take a photo.
Soon, these actions may not even be necessary. The New York Times recently reported on the latest developments in mind-controlled technology, which may enable us within a few years to keep our hands in our pockets and use our thoughts to control lighting at home or operate a computer to write emails.
This technology is generally referred to as Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), originally designed primarily to allow paralyzed or disabled individuals to control computers or robotic limbs through thought. After 30 years of development, this technology is now being prepared for application in consumer electronics.
The MIT Technology Review recently revealed that Samsung's Emerging Technology Lab is testing a new technology that uses brain control for tablets. The experiments are ongoing, and currently, users need to wear a cap embedded with monitoring electrodes to control the tablet.
NeuroSky, a company based in California, previously released a mind-controlled cat ear device that moves according to a person's emotions—rising, lowering, and swaying depending on happiness or sadness. Recently, they also launched a Bluetooth headset that allows users to control games on tablets and smartphones using their thoughts. Meanwhile, Emotiv is selling a futuristic-looking headset that reads brainwaves, enabling users to search for images on Flickr through emotions and thoughts without using keywords.
Muse wireless headbands allow users to engage in brain-training applications, enhancing focus through games, which they refer to as "brain fitness."
Last year, a project called BrainGate successfully allowed two quadriplegic patients to control robots through brain activity. One participant had not used her arm for 15 years, but she was able to pick up coffee and feed herself through a robotic hand—all accomplished through imagination and thought.
However, BCI still faces many unresolved issues. While it can indeed read information, the depth of understanding remains quite superficial.
Current mind-control technology is akin to listening to a conversation on a football field through a soundproof shield. To fully understand the signals emitted by the brain, surgical procedures would be required to install sensors directly into the brain.
Dr. John Donoghue, the leader of the BrainGate project, remains optimistic about the prospects of BCI, but he acknowledges that current mind-control technology is still relatively immature. Moreover, like Google Glass and other wearable devices, BCI continues to raise privacy concerns. Some users worry about the real-life version of Inception (or thought implantation) becoming a reality. Muse’s official website specifically reassures consumers that the device does not steal their thoughts.
It remains unclear whether heavy users might worry about such issues.
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