holding small cameras is connected to a computer and , in turn , to |
tiny voltage potentials . Something as simple as the blinking |
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the implants . After a training period similar to the one used for |
eyelids of the subject can generate much stronger signals . |
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remote thought-controlled movement , the subject can see . |
Refinements in EEGs and implants will probably overcome this |
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Advantages
Every technology is said to have its pros and cons and same will be the case with brain wave interface with electronic devices .
However , the interest of users is the most important parameter to influence the development and market growth of any technology .
The recent history of human technology shows an increasing number of products and services that can be controlled remotely and automatically using computer algorithms . But what are the prospects of controlling devices using our brain waves . A few
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problem to some extent in the future , but for now , reading brain signals is like listening to a bad phone connection .
There ' s lots of static .
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The equipment is less than portable . It ' s far better than it used to be -- early systems were hardwired to massive mainframe computers . But some BCIs still require a wired connection to the equipment , and those that are wireless require the subject to carry a computer .
Developments
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paralyzed patients could soon be using a wireless brain-computer |
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Video games have started to use EEG technology , equipping |
interface able to stream their thought commands as quickly as a |
gamers with sleek headsets that claim to read the gamer ’ s |
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home Internet connection . |
mind and translate their thoughts into machine-readable |
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By reading signals from an array of neurons and using computer |
instructions . Gamers can use their minds to drive a virtual car |
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chips and programs to translate the signals into action , BCI can |
and create musically-inspired brain-wave art . A firm has |
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enable a person suffering from paralysis to write a book or control |
developed what it considers to be the next level in gaming - a |
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a motorized wheelchair or prosthetic limb through thought alone . |
headset that lets us to control on-screen and physical objects |
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Current brain-interface devices require deliberate conscious |
using just our mind . During the demonstration , the brain |
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thought but future applications , such as prosthetic control , are |
waves moved a car the size of a shoebox around a track and |
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likely to work effortlessly . |
each race involves two players wired up to the headset . |
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Challenges
One of the biggest challenges in developing BCI technology has been the development of electrode devices and / or surgical methods that are minimally invasive . In the traditional BCI model , the brain accepts an implanted mechanical device and controls the device as a natural part of its representation of the body .
Much current research is focused on the potential on nondecode invasive BCI .
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these brain signals and turn them into instructions
Neural prosthetic devices also use the shared language of electronics to control robotic limbs , but through a somewhat more sophisticated interface with the brain . These devices use neural implants consisting of an array of electrodes that are implanted in the brain to monitor a small set of neurons and detect an individual ’ s intentions to maneuver an object such as a prosthetic limb . Mathematical formulas then that drive the prosthetic device .
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One of the biggest challenges facing brain-computer interface researchers today is the basic mechanics of the interface itself .
The easiest and least invasive method is a set of electrodes -- a device known as an electroencephalograph ( EEG ) -- attached to the scalp . The electrodes can read brain signals . However , the skull blocks a lot of the electrical signal , and it distorts what does get through . To get a higher-resolution signal , scientists can implant electrodes directly into the gray matter of the brain itself , or on the surface of the brain , beneath the skull . This allows for much more direct reception of electric signals and allows electrode placement in the specific area of the brain where the appropriate signals are generated .
This approach has many problems , however . It requires invasive surgery to implant the electrodes , and devices left in the brain long-term tend to cause the formation of scar tissue in the gray matter . Although we already understand the basic principles behind BCIs , they don ' t work perfectly and there are several reasons for this as :
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The brain is incredibly complex . To say that all thoughts or actions are the result of simple electric signals in the brain is a gross understatement . There are about 100 billion neurons in a human brain . Each neuron is constantly sending and receiving signals through a complex web of connections .
There are chemical processes involved as well , which EEGs can ' t pick up on .
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Today it ’ s a headband or a helmet that reads brain waves from external EEG sensors , but to get to the subtleties that a true user interface would require we ’ d need to put sensors inside the head or add more components , such as the vision mentioned in the research above . But if we want to rely on the brain , then we need better electronics that could be implanted into a person ’ s body , which requires new coatings and research into chips .
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The “ mind control ” headband unveiled by startup BrainCo . effectively hacks into brain signals with a range of possible applications — from helping to improve attention spans , to detecting disease , controlling smart home appliances or even a prosthetic device .
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The helmet is built around a NeuroSky headset , an EEG device that senses the activity of neurons in the brain and indicates whether a person ' s thoughts are either meditative or attentive .
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The US Department of Defense is pushing for the development of cheap , wearable systems that can detect the brain waves of people and display the data on smartphones or tablets .
Acknowledgement : The use of information retrieved through various references / sources of internet in this article is highly acknowledged .
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