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.
The Berlin Brain-Computer Interface (BBCI) – dubbed the "mental typewriter" – was created by researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin
and Charité, the medical school of Berlin Humboldt University in Germany. It was shown off at the CeBit electronics fair in Hanover, Germany.
The machine makes it possible to type messages onto a computer screen by mentally controlling the movement of a cursor. A user must wear a cap
containing electrodes that measure electrical activity inside the brain, known as an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal, and imagine moving their left
or right arm in order to manoeuvre the cursor around.
Ok, so its still in plemininary stages, but still, how cool!? I remember hearing about this technology many years back, so its interesting to see how
it develops. They want to produce one that doesn't require a cap on the scalp to make it more comfortable and portable. The possibilites for this are
just immense
EDIT: sp
[edit on 10-3-2006 by john_bmth]
[edit on 10-3-2006 by john_bmth]
