Headband Could Help Brain Communicate with Computers
March 4th, 2014Via: Boston Globe:
Computer scientist Robert Jacob and biomedical engineer Sergio Fantini are working on a headband to read brain activity, enabling a computer to determine whether the wearer is bored, fatigued, or sharp.
In a tower full of air traffic controllers wearing headbands, the computer could automatically shift flight assignments, depending on which controllers show higher levels of mental acuity.
The possibilities for the brain scanner are not limited to air travel. The researchers and their students also have used the device to generate movie recommendations for wearers, based on how their brains respond to other films. In another experiment, pianists practiced on an electronic keyboard while wearing the headband. As their brain signals indicated mastery of a melody, a computer added complexity to the songs by playing harmonies.
For now, the headband prototype is a bit clunky; it connects to a desktop computer through two fat cables.
Eventually, Jacob and Fantini envision integrating the brain scanner with a wearable computer, such as Google Glass. They see the technology as part of a future in which humans communicate with computers through thoughts instead of mouse clicks.
