Brain Remote Control – Breaking Technology
Welcome back!
Throw away that remote control — you may not need it any longer. Having battles with your partner for control of the TV flicker? Your next skirmish may be who can change the channel faster to watch your favorite program, without even lifting a finger. Breaking technology developed by Hitachi could let you control electronics simply by reading your brain activity.
The ‘brain-machine interface’ developed by Hitachi analyzes slight changes in the brain’s blood flow and translates brain motion into electric signals.
Photo – Shizuo Kambayashi – Hitachi researcher Akiko Obata wearing a head gear makes a model train run while her colleague Kei Utsugi checks a monitor screen showing a map of the blood flow in her brain during a demonstration of a new technology that reads brain activity and lets you control everyday objects without lifting a finger at Hitachi’s research lab in Hatoyama, Japan, June 20, 2007.
“Take a deep breath and relax.” said Kei Utsugi, while demonstrating the device.
At his prompting, the reporter did simple calculations in her head, and the train ran forward — indicating activity in the brain’s frontal cortex, which handles problem solving, reports Live Science.
Activating that region of the brain — by doing sums or singing a song — is what makes the train run, according to Utsugi. When one stops the calculations, the train stops, too.
The brain-machine interface technology — called optical topography — sends an infrared light through the brain’s surface to map out changes in blood flow.
The brain-machine interface technology has been used for medical purposes up to now, but Hitachi and Honda Motor Co. have been working feverishly to refine the technology for commercial use.
Hitachi’s scientists are working to develop a brain TV remote control enabling you to turn your TV on and off and switch channels by merely thinking.
Honda, whose interface monitors the brain with an MRI machine like those used in hospitals, is striving to apply the interface to intelligent, next-generation automobiles.
The technology could one day replace remote controls and keyboards and help disabled people operate electric wheelchairs, beds or artificial limbs. Initial uses would be helping people with paralyzing diseases communicate even after they have lost all control of their muscles.
Since 2005, Hitachi has sold a device based on optical topography that monitors brain activity in paralyzed patients so they can answer simple questions such as mental calculations to indicate ‘yes’ or thinking of nothing in particular to indicate ‘no.’
“We are thinking of various kinds of applications.” project leader Hideaki Koizumi said. “Locked-in patients can speak to other people by using this kind of brain machine interface.”
A key advantage to Hitachi’s technology is that sensors don’t have to be physically implanted into the brain. Earlier technologies required lodging a chip under the skull. Resonations of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. Shudder!
Stumbling blocks still remain, but expect to be able to throw away that remote in the not too distant future.
Tags:bizarre brain brain activity brain machine interface odd optical topography remote control science technology weird
This sounds exciting Deborah……I don’t know how we would get on in our household……I think our combined brain activity….would definitely cause chaos….and would that be better than the remotes that we have for the TV’S,DVDS AC,COMPUTERS, INTERCOM, AND GARAGE DOORS…ha ha ….we would go mad!!!!
I hear ya about the chaos. I can just imagine the ‘brain battles’ we’d have around here to see who can switch channels faster than the other, haha.
But a universal remote for everything sounds pretty cool.
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It is funny to think about how we have gone from getting up off the couch to change the channel on the TV manually to just raising an arm and pushing a button from the couch. Now with technology such as this, I won’t even have to exert that much effort. I can feel my muscles atrophy as I just think about it. Interesting post.
Greg, I remember the day when there were no remotes, and progressed to wired remotes, tripping over the wires. OMG I’m dating myself!
Either this will be one more thing to add to our lethargy, or a good thing for the brain to excercise it more so
This is something i always thought of and only saw in few movies.If there will be something as this to read the other person’s brain think how the law and order will improve.We will be able to know the truth about criminals and corrupt politicians with ease.Isn’t it so.
But what if I’ll change my mind in a fraction of second.Will it pick the next command.I think instead of this remote control there should be a device through which we can read a person’s mind.it will be great to read criminal’s mind.