'Mental typewriter' controlled by thought alone

Iria · Mar 11, 2006, 03:21 PM

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.

"It's a very strange sensation," says Gabriel Curio at Charité. "And you can understand from the crowds watching that the potential is huge."
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Read More / Source: New Scientist

Vikingod · Mar 11, 2006, 04:13 PM

I wonder how this is related to the computer that genius Stephen Hawkins uses. I'm sure his technology is similar in nature. Very neat though, it would be great to have this tech be affordable for those that need it.

**dj_stick** · Mar 11, 2006, 09:46 PM

hmmm EEG scanners are commonplace in hospitals, so that side of the technology isn't new, maybe just the "interpretation" part is, so imo it'll be costly at first, but it'll drop down significantly soon enough, and many governments may choose to subsidise its use

Mar 11, 2006, 03:21 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	'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. 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. "It's a very strange sensation," says Gabriel Curio at Charité. "And you can understand from the crowds watching that the potential is huge." _____________ Read More / Source: New Scientist

Mar 11, 2006, 04:13 PM	#2
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	I wonder how this is related to the computer that genius Stephen Hawkins uses. I'm sure his technology is similar in nature. Very neat though, it would be great to have this tech be affordable for those that need it.