Late last year, HitTechEdge hosted an article about potential technology which could connect human brain activity to a PC. A group of researchers from IMEC have taken what was just an idea, and have made it into reality.
The device is called ‘MindSpeller’, and while it can’t execute complex computing interactions, it does turn thoughts into text. The technology surrounding MindSpeller has been around for a little while. Unfortunately, devices which can execute the functions necessary for thought-to-text have been too large to actually use consistently.
The practical use of the MindSpeller can be found by people who suffer from paralysis, and speech/language disorders. The device takes what is referred to as electro-encephalogram brainwaves (EEG) traces, and converts them into recognizable words and phrases. Here’s a definition of EEG from Wikipedia – Electroencephalography (EEG) is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain.
The MindSpeller is as small as a matchbox, and is fitted inside a cap which is attached to the user’s head. Electrodes are placed at specific locations, which pick up the EEG signals. Then those signals are digitized and sent over a 2.4-GHz radio to the PC. The data is then recognized by the PC, and then text appears.
Professor Van Hulle, one of the researches on the project, had this to say, “The Mind Speller is a generic device that can be easily adjusted to different users. Therefore, it could be a cost-efficient communication solution for people with temporal impairments for whom the existing solutions are too expensive. Moreover, the Mind Speller may help those patients that are not helped with the existing devices driven by motor activity, as the Mind Speller is based on a different principle, using P300 EEG potentials to read people’s thoughts.”
The MindSpeller is in prototype phase right now, as better techniques for getting the device to work must be tested. However, the actual implementation of the technology is there. IMEC is adapting the electronics portion of the device to work with dry electrodes, allowing for easier setup. Even in prototype phase, this tech certainly impresses. Many communication handicaps on the PC are made completely irrelevant with this tech.
