3.24.2006

 

'Mental typewriter' controlled by thought alone

New 'Mental typewriter' controlled by thought alone: "A computer controlled by the power of thought alone has been demonstrated at a major trade fair in Germany. The device could provide a way for paralysed patients to operate computers, or for amputees to operate electronically controlled artificial limbs. But it also has non-medical applications, such as in the computer games and entertainment industries."

Comments:
Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to fly jet fighter planes by thought alone.
 
That's insane. I wonder how that works.
 
Years ago, while designing circuits and working with electronic probes, I touched my glasses with the probe and noticed that the rims were picking up signals. In itself, that is no surprise.

But the most interesting signals happened whenever I raised or lowered my opposite arm.

If I altered the position of my glasses the effect would be damped or enhanced. Of course my glasses were picking up other signals such as the florescent lights, noise from test equipment and strong radio stations.

I was able to mostly filter out unwanted frequencies because the brain signals were very low and most other signals were much higher, or were constant.

I didn't pursue anything at the time, but I wondered if putting an array of isolated sensors along my glasses near the temple might provide a meaningful peek of what is going on inside.

I assumed that those signals wouldn't be fine enough resolution to be significant. An analogy comes to mind, of listening to mechanics drop tools inside of a factory and trying to tell from those clunking noises what is being manufactured inside.

The idea of implanting anything inside my brain is out of the question. Even wearing a skull-cap with lots of skin contact sensors seems a bit much, but would be far preferable to implants.

However, if I was paralyzed, with few other options, perhaps my hesitation would be zero.

DDD
 
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