Innovations: Thought-Wired tames the brain to control home appliances

The Idea

If you are one of those unfortunate ones affected by some kind of disability then here is what you need to look at for a comfortable living. Three innovative, pioneering Aucklanders are bringing out some great technology churning out new rays of hope. They are building advanced Brain Computing Interface systems named as Thought-Wired to help handicapped people or people with disabilities control lights, make phone calls, close curtains, etc. all through the mind. By bringing together $300 Emotiv EPOC neuro-headset with smart-home appliances, this group is sending out BCI technology from its ivory tower. This team unveiled their Neuro-Operated Utility System in the hope for bringing about a drastic change in the quality of life of people with disabilities.

system diagram

Brainchild

Just as any innovative, ambitious technology, NOUS was also designed and structured beginning with a core idea. At a TED conference, this idea was conceived and was regarded as highly feasible and something that would bring about terrific change. The group then created the BCI prototype for testing and then integrating it with many different home appliances.

thought wired

What's new?

The prototype was rather impressive, but people would certainly argue about its uniqueness when the well known hands-free eye-tracking has been quite a success. Eye tracking system, first of all, is far more expensive; their cheapest systems would touch the $1000 mark. At a humble $300, Emotiv EPOC headset is the costliest component of the NOUS and so it is expected to be reasonably priced and way less as compared to the eye tracking technology. And of course, eye tracking has its own long list of setbacks which the NOUS tries to overcome very efficiently. Very evidently, this is the only technology that serves the handicapped in the best manner possible, beating speech recognition and eye tracking hands down.

What's refreshing?

This path breaking technology relies heavily upon neural signals that are diluted by tissue and cranial bone and certainly have a higher spatial resolution, which makes it easier to supersede the basic binary functions of most of the EPOC devices. Thought-Wired is using direct nueral implants for the cost and safety are checked sufficiently by BCI wizards. An account of this highly creative group, that is giving people with disabilities a new lease of life, is given here.

Applications

This brilliant technology, when available to people with disabilities, will provide tremendous benefits. It enables them to transcend their otherwise pathetic condition and gain a sense of freedom. A perfect win-win situation, this enables people to take on many tasks all by themselves letting go of support from other family members or caretakers.

Dmitry Selitskiy of Thought-Wired says,

I wanted to (somehow) help kids with disabilities be equal with aabled people. I have a personal connection to the issue of disability – my cousin has a severe case of CP which left him paralyzed from birth.