A device that can read minds
April 08, 2018 | 09:48 |2028
Our relationship with technology is getting stronger. Previously, to find information on the Internet, it was necessary to type the query on the keyboard. Then came voice assistants. And scientists have created an algorithm by which you only need to think about the word that you want to print, and it will be displayed on the screen of your gadget. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invented their "myelophone". They created "AlterEgo" - a portable device that is said to be able to recognize non-verbal signals, or "read your thoughts."Arslan KEMALOV
The device is fixed around the ear and includes sensors with electrodes that are located at certain points around the mouth and along the jaws on both sides. When you think about any words or pronounce them to yourself, the brain sends neuromuscular impulses to the muscles around the mouth and jaw. These pulses are captured by the sensors of the device, after which the program algorithm analyzes the data and compares the signals with certain words.
In addition, the system can send answers to the user through a pair of headphones of bone conduction, that is, they are located not in the auricle, but above it, in the temporal region. This, it is claimed, allows sending information to the user, without interfering with the conversation.
Researchers tested the device, performing various tasks, starting with the use of a dictionary of 20 words and mathematical equations and ending with a game of chess.
Despite the fact that the device is quite "smart", at the moment its accuracy (using 20 words) is 92%. But the developers are confident that with time the accuracy of the device will increase significantly. "Now we are in the stage of data collection and the results are quite good. I think someday we will reach the level of a full-fledged conversation," notes Arnav Kapur, one of the authors of the project.
According to the researchers, the device will be an excellent assistant for people with disabilities, and can be used in everyday life, becoming a substitute for other methods of "communication" with the computer over time.
