Research Lets You Type Words By Thought Alone 114
An anonymous reader writes "How about typing on a computer just by thinking about it? The downside is you have to wear a skull cap with electrodes that capture your brain waves like an EEG machine. According to this EE Times story, a team of researchers from Belgium and the Netherlands has presented Mind Speller, a thought-to-text device intended to help people with movement disabilities. The system does rely on a lot of processing on a remote computer, but it is a wireless system. And these thought-to-computer systems have wider applicability than medical support. One of the research groups involved in this development has already looked at wireless electroencephalography (EEG) to enable measures of emotion to be fed back into computer games."
Interesting. (Score:4, Insightful)
The last article that was posted [slashdot.org] was only about typing individual letters, and of course people were quick to say how useless that was: slow and impractical.
And of course the researchers thought so too, which was fine because the technology isn’t done yet.
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The downside is you have to wear a skull cap with electrodes that capture your brain waves like an EEG machine.
I'm guessing it's progress, but I'd end up with documents that were full of "man, this is the 2nd stupidest hat I've ever had to wear at work" repeated over and over again.
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Only the 2nd stupidest?
Anyway, I’m sure it will continue to improve, and they’ll obviously have to figure out some way to filter out the thoughts that randomly pass through people’s minds as they’re using this. Although a passing thought may not even trigger this because it would be such a different brain pattern than that shown during the focused concentration of “typing”.
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You're right... it's probably more like the 7th stupidest.
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Trivial to solve: they could use escape sequences.
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Man, that lady's got a huge ass.
Those could be anyone's thoughts!
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Thought reading devices are the second most hyped technology I've ever read about.
(As quantum computing is the second most hyped area of computer science.
(Do thoughts exist before or after your consciousness has observed them?)
)
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Thought based typing is nice.....
but I'm looking forward to the Outer Limits' thought-based sex machine. (See season 2.) All you do is THINK the action and it's transmitted over hundreds of miles to your partner in a similar machine who feels the result.
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I'm guessing it's progress, but I'd end up with documents that were full of "man, this is the 2nd stupidest hat I've ever had to wear at work" repeated over and over again.
I suspect that would be an improvement for many reports. Now, if halfway through you got "but at least it's not as stupid as the boss's tie", then you're going to have a problem.
Re:Interesting. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Seems like even the letter version could be useful if you train it.
I would expect this sort of technology could be trained by typing, and gradually learn enough that you don't need to move your hands, you just think similarly to how you do when you type.
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He suffered from locked in syndrome after a car crash and wrote the book by blinking character by character to a nurse. Technology like this could really help people like that, and researchers who want to communicate with people otherwi
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the technology isn't done yet
Thoughts wander. The hands not only input data, they filter it. Unless this thing has something analogous, it's useless and will remain so, no matter how much you can input at a time.
Re:Interesting. (Score:4, Informative)
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I would have a very hard time thinking about every letter I type. I type words, not letters :) Try it right now. Thinking about the letters will get you to forget what your word/sentence/whole thought was.
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Interesting side node: It will in the process change your view of the world, by creating bigger associations between whatever is stored in the areas where you create those patterns (or in other words: what you think about), thereby changing your character and who you are.
Yes, this happens with every input in our head. But the problem is that it’s not an input in this case, but a random learning. As opposed to real inputs, where your learning always has a point and a use. (Yes even the stupid lolcat an
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Specifically it detects and interprets what are known as P300 event-related potentials in the EEG-signals of a person that is selecting characters from a display presenting alternate rows and columns of characters.
It sounds like they haven't made any progress in speed what-so-fucking-ever, they've simply made it more comfortable to wear, and changed the interface very slightly.
If they want to speed it up, why not use the predictive texting stuff? It's usually fairly accurate, and if it doesn't bring up the word they want, they keep doing the letter-by-letter.
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of course people were quick to say how useless that was: slow and impractical.
Actually some of us said the hype was stupid.
By thought ALONE, eh?
So, like, no cables, computers, software, hardware...? All I have to do is think, and my typing appears somewhere, without any intervening, like, STUFF?
Because that's what "alone" would seem to mean. No one would think it reasonable or honest to say, "Automobile allows people to travel huge distances at high speeds by ARMS ALONE!" even though that's what cruise control does. We'd all recognize that as misleading and stupid.
So why do we ke
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*me rolls eyes*
No one would think it reasonable or honest to say, "Automobile allows people to travel huge distances at high speeds by ARMS ALONE!"
No, but perfectly reasonable to say “power steering allows people to drive their car with only the slightest movement of their arms”.
“Drive their car” implies obvious stuff like the car and a steering wheel by which to drive it. Similarly “type words” implies obvious stuff like a device to display the words (computer) and hardware to interact with you (hat and the box it’s attached to) so that you can type.
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For instance, this would allow deaf-mutes (from birth) to communicate --have you ever thought what their minds tell them our voices sound like? What do you think they hear themselves sound like in their head?
That would be true thought-reading, which this does not do. It just learns what your brain activity looks like when you’re concentrating on a particular thing.
Deaf-mutes can’t hear, so I imagine they have about as much a concept of sound as blind people have of colour. They don’t hear anything. They don’t know what we sound like, and they don’t know what they sound like either... although I seem to remember hearing something about deaf-mutes learning what the vibrations of soun
Horrible horrible idea... (Score:1, Funny)
On the surface, this sounds shit fuck fantastic, but reality is, I gotta take a crap our brains don't focus my leg itches like that. Well, at least titties mine doesn't.
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I wanted to comment on the wrongness of the moderation this post received, but instead all my brain is thinking is that whoever the douche is that moderated this a troll mod needs their points taken away and needs to get laid something fierce.
Pause might be a problem (Score:2)
Using this in computer games seems nifty, but I can see some definite issues that it would introduce. Lets say you use emotional feedback to adjust difficulty; you want them challenged but not frustrated. Problem is, if they pause the game, get a snack, and come back, you can't make them resume the same emotional state they had when they paused. When they come back refreshed, the game will assume it isn't challenging them anymore and unleash hell.
I'm not saying this can't be worked around (wait a couple min
Cool tech (Score:2, Insightful)
Multilingual (Score:4, Insightful)
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printf("Hello Wor Oh my god, look at that ass. I would really love to... shit, it's being typed out. Delete delete delete
I not so sure about this... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:I not so sure about this... (Score:4, Funny)
Only if the subject is stationary. In a walkby, you'd get a Doppler effect:
tits tits tits tits tits tits TITS! TITS! ASS! ASS! ass ass ass ass ass ass
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new era hats [topbrandhats.com]
new era hats [topbrandhats.com]
new era caps [topbrandhats.com]
one industries hats [topbrandhats.com]
Rockstar Energy Hats [topbrandhats.com]
rockstar energy hats [topbrandhats.com]
monster energy hats
Red Bull Caps [topbrandhats.com]
The Hundreds Hats
nfl hats
Supreme Hats
DC Comics Hats
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God help those with ADHD. (Score:5, Funny)
I really don't think that shit minimize slashdot, boss No i was just working on that TPS Report you wante ok, gone this technology has too much use beyond drop the pencil drop the pencil the physically impairedPERIOD bend at the hips bend at the hips I'm sure that Hawking would love to be able to http://www.engadget.com/ Sweet! new Android phone I wonder if I should switch. http://verizon.com damn nothing is affordable http://att.com Damn it. WTF. Why do we get raped on these prices ALT-TAB Vector Canape. where was I. Oh yeah trying to record data on that Crap forgot about that slashdot post I was making. I think that if they could speed it up so that it could keep up with the hrm that smells good. I wonder what is for lunch normal mind it would be great. The soft wear damn it, no ware ware would have to keep track it's wait, I thank that's only for it is. Um its homophones and other things that were similar.
"Tits!" would be fine... (Score:4, Funny)
Watch out for that guy whose text is riddled with "DIE!", "DIE MOTHERFUCKER!", "I HATE YOU ALL!" and "ONE DAY YOU WILL ALL BURN!".
He brings a heavy looking sports-bag in the office one day - find a reason to quickly step outside.
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If you get enough people to do that, he could wind up like this guy [theonion.com].
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A reason? By the time you came up with it, it’s already too late.
Oh, and even a single gas bottle can wreck the whole house, while fitting in that sports bag. So unless you step out of the whole building, you will be one of those who aren’t liberated by death, but still alive under the rocks for a slow and painful death.
Better just make a quick run. You will have enough to think up an excuse when nothing happened and you came back.
(Protip: Raising you phone to your ear and running outside while
Yeah, well.. (Score:2)
...what I want is to be able to transmit images from my brain onto a computer monitor. I have a TON of (what I think as) really cool and creative images in my head, but completely lack the artistic ability to even begin to sketch/draw/paint them.
I doubt I'm the only one in this hellishly frustrating situation -_-;;
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Sometimes with images, but usually with music. I'll get a guitar riff or something in my head that I know sounds awesome, but even though I can play guitar a little, I can't get that sound through the guitar. A way of recording the audio in my head would be awesome.
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The pictures in your head are what matter; the rest can be learned. These days you don't even need eye-hand coordination, since we have programs like Photoshop. Take some classes at your local university or community college, I'm sure they have an art department.
Coming up with an idea is the hard part, exersizing it is easy (which is why I don't have more journals than I do -- I have to wait for the muse to hit).
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Eh, I've gotten over it. I much prefer making music [last.fm] anyway...it's difficult to find the specific kind of music I want to listen to, so I figured making it would be the best solution. I played French Horn, Clarinet, and Piano when I was younger, plus I still have full retention of how to read music and the actual structure of music creation, so it didn't take much time or investment to get up and running.
It's served me well enough...I would love to write the scary short stories in my head, and I would love
woops! (Score:1)
type by PENIS thought eh? (Score:1)
Mmmmmm... (Score:1)
Booooobiiiieeees!!
I've sex been testing this system (Score:2)
girls and it works babes quite well beer
I've been using this for a while. (Score:1)
Boobs I've been Boobs using this Boobs for a while Boobs and it does Boobs pretty well Boobs. But it Boobs sometimes takes longer Boobs to go back and Boobs edit my writing.
So I don't bother.
Boobs.
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Yes, but I also feel that this was the most polished implementation, for some reason. If I had mod points, this one would get Funny, and the rest would get Redundant.
wonderful (Score:2)
It'll be far easier than typing with one hand.
It may let you type by will alone... (Score:2, Funny)
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Nope,
Still Will Alone that you set your thoughts in motion, still the Blood of Sapho, Diet Coke or Mountain Dew that the thoughts aquire speed.
Every thing I type hurts (Score:2)
so this would be wonderful.
Bursitis in right thumb, carpal tunnel both hands. nerve damage from chemo.
I can type- but it's like level "2" (of 10) pain, every keystroke.
I looked into the NIA and have used voice software.
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Awesome! (Score:2)
I can't wait for them to get it hooked up to my iPod so I can write while I jog. I don't care about silly hats if I can transcribe my thoughts. I realize I'll need to edit the output, but that's a small price to pay.
Writing business letters (Score:1)
Dear Sirs [porn]
I would like to enquire about your [porn] new line of [porn] fasteners for [porn] light duty fabric [porn][porn][porn]. I would like to [porn] get [porn] samples and estimated costs [porn] ffor these fasteners [porn]. Please call me [porn][porn] at your earliest opportunity [porn]. ...
One thing this story has made me realise... (Score:3, Interesting)
...is just how little I apparently think about sex, relative to the general population. There is a period of roughly once every 24 hours where the subject comes up, for the most part, and that is it. If I go outside, and happen to run into some women, it might be more than that, but on days when I stay in, it genuinely doesn't.
I guess I'm just really abnormal.
Re:One thing this story has made me realise... (Score:5, Insightful)
Or perhaps you're perfectly normal and the whole 'men can't not think about sex all the time' is misandrist bullshit.
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Indeed; someone should mod you up. Those obvious jokes (except the first one) should be modded "redundant".
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Indeed. While men have high hormone levels as teenagers, women have the same high hormone levels in their 30s. Men don't have more obsession with sex compared to women overall, they just have their "peak" earlier.
I suppose you could get your "revenge" in your 30s by treating them the way they did to you in your teenage years, but it is all stupid.
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Well, the thing is: There is not much stimulation when you’re alone in your basement.
If you ever get a GF, or go outside... or even both at the same time (*gasp*)... that will change. ^^
Still just typing (Score:2)
Amusing comments but the reality is that this is still the same old P300. You concentrate on a letter, they flash different letters on the screen for about 30 seconds, and it makes a guess at what letter you were thinking of. Then if it's right you go on to the next letter. Super super slow. Eye blink signals are probably just as fast. And if you can't use your eyes you probably can't use P300. I think there have been some studies trying to extract P300 signals from audio cues but they have not been too suc
Wrong title (Score:5, Informative)
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You can not write words by thought alone. This device allows to (painstakingly at a very slow speed) type letters.
So does using a keyboard if you've never used one before.
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If they could they could scale the tech down a bit, maybe build it into a hat, combine it with some kind of HUD (either in the form of glasses or contacts), you'd have a true wearable computer.
The low typing speed is a small price to pay for something that cool/useful.
Gives a whole new meaning to.... (Score:1)
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What's wrong with the old definition?
"When you say one thing, but mean your mother"?
Tourette's Syndrome (Score:1)
Shotgun of words (Score:2)
The image I see for me using this would just be a shotgun blast of words spewing onto the screen without any particular form or direction. It takes so much control for me to just type a sentence without other thoughts crossing into the stream of words. Without the physical filter of selectively typing words it would become incoherent babble almost instantaneously.
Damn that was a workout.
Back to the Future (Score:1)
Think about what I type? (Score:2)
Damn! The next thing you know, they'll expect me to read TFA before posting.
No emotions into my RPGs thanks (Score:2)
Clinical use for misdiagnosed "comatose" patients? (Score:2)
I guess if you're Rom Houben [dailymail.co.uk], you'd have a legitimate need for one of these things.
I mean, someone like Dr Steven Laureys would presumably come in, attach the electrode cap to your head, post the operating instructions on the ceiling over your bed, and leave you alone with it. After a few hours, if you've typed out "OMG Help Me I'm trapped and I can't move -- oh and please scratch my nose!" then you're not comatose.
Backspace (Score:2, Funny)
Let's see, (Score:2)
Should I comment on this story? Nah, it's not so important, what I have to say, anyway.
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Hey! Someone must have hacked my account and posted with it! >-( Someone in this very room, even, since they heard what I was think...... !!!!!!!!
I want my S.Q.U.I.D. (Score:1)
Great Invention! (Score:2)
Dreams? (Score:2)
What would be cool is if they made this sensitive enough, and trained someone well enough, that they could use it to communicate while dreaming.
Of course, all you'd see is line after line of "The blue fish is mellooooow... How's that snarker, Mr. Handle? Where did I leave my other lung..." and the like, but it would still be fascinating.
They'll get the form factor down... (Score:2)
and the surgery to implant it into the base of your skull is so painless it's no wonder I'm number 1!
http://www.yzzerdd.com/ [yzzerdd.com]
If this tech is available now (Score:1)
why hasn't Stephen Hawking been using it?
Surely he'd be the best advertising for them?
Mainly from just using it, of course, not from what he says with it.
Okay, so what does the dead salmon have to say? (Score:2)
Or any of the comatose patients which "facilitators" tell us are really alive and conscious?
If _research_ let you type by thought alone... (Score:2)
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I'm not sure BAG is one person. I haven't done any scientific investigation, but just from what I've read there are at least 3 or 4 different posting styles ranging from true analogies (though bad) through biting sarcasm all the way to actually insightful posts. There is also the type of post above which seems to intend humor but isn't quite as good as the others. He seems to be going through a karma whoring phase now (possibly due to excessive downmods).
His posts are also night-owl for the most part but so