It’s no surprise to hear
about the intelligent computer, but have you ever heard
of a psychic one? We’re talking about a computer
that has the uncanny ability to read your mind and you
having the gift to control it with only your thoughts.
It’s all thanks to new research developments in
Brain Machine Interface (BMI). It provides a new way to
communicate with the brain that doesn’t depend on
the normal output pathways of nerves and muscles. Once
you bypass the body and brain’s natural method of
communication, those with severe disability or neurological
disorders will be able to communicate via the computer
by sheer thought. The research done in Brain Machine Interface
(BMI) opens new exciting possibilities that will allow
computers, robots and other mechanical devices as extensions
of our muscles or senses. Think Darth Vadar’s mechanical
hand becoming a reality!
Brain Machine Interface (BMI) research conducted at our
very own headquarters at the Institute for Infocomm Research
(I2R) are fine-tuning ways to control the computer by thought
alone.
The force is strong in I2R, and this team is moving fast
in the BMI wars, our team of researchers headed
by Dr Guan Cuntai, have come up with a more sophisticated
approach to thought controlled devices. They’ve created
a NeuroComm platform and various applications, such as
word speller and remote controls that allow a non-invasive
method to signal acquisition and analysis using electroencephalography
(EEG). That means it reads and senses signals given out
by the brain. It contrasts to other invasive methods which
involve planting chips into the brain.
"Brain Machine Interface (BMI) is a fast-growing
emerging technology with promising potential applications.
Researchers still need to work very hard in the coming
years before more people can benefit from this technology," says
Dr Guan Cuntai.
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