Facebook Is Researching Technology That Will Let People Control Computers With Their Minds

Facebook has unveiled a new project from its mysterious Building 8 research group, which aims to build a brain-computer interface that can help people type with their thoughts.

Brain-computer interfaces are being researched in medical science, using EEG sensors to glean commands directly from a person's mind

Regina Dugan, who heads up Facebooks¡¯ Building 8, as well as leading both DARPA and Google¡¯s ATAP research group in the past, made the announcement at the F8 developer conference yesterday. According to her, the aim is ¡°something as simple as a yes-no brain click¡±, which could revolutionise how we interact with technology in the future.

Dugan says the technology currently only exists in medical research trials, but her team is working on it to make it a consumer application technique. She compares it to a telepathic mouse and keyboard, allowing people to directly input neural activity as computer commands. Aside from the obvious benefits of the paralysed and physically infirm, the technology could also one day do away with current new-age augmented and virtual reality features like hand tracking.

Dugan is also quick to address the issue of privacy, saying the technology doesn¡¯t invade your brain to glean your thoughts. ¡°This is about decoding the words you¡¯ve already decided to share by sending them to the speech centre of your brain,¡± she says. ¡°You take many photos and choose to share only some of them. Similarly, you have many thoughts and choose to share only some of them.¡±

Medical researchers have already developed initial prototypes that let paralysed patients type up to eight words a minute using their thoughts. However, the technology at work here involves implanted electrodes. Facebook¡¯s aim is to eventually allow users to type at a speed of about 100 words a minute, even faster than the average person types with their hands. And all of that will be done with neural imaging devices in headsets, not implants.

A team of more than 60 scientists and engineers from a variety of universities are now working towards bringing Facebook¡¯s goal to fruition, attempting to have a prototype ready within the next two years.