Computer and human interface will probably be one of the most important areas of development in next few decades. While we work to master our technology to make computers work for us more efficiently, and double processing power every 18month, little we have seen to improve our direct interaction with computers.

What we seen is form factor changes (tablet/smart phone), introduction to motion sensing input (Kinect), use of GPS, accelerometer, google goggle, google glass, etc. In my opinion, we probably took a step back by heavily depending upon touch keyboards moving away from using 10 fingers (QWERTY keyboard) to 2 fingers. Fashion statements have become one of the key driving factors in the market. Most of our attempts to make handwriting recognition popular were never successful.

Our ability to instruct computers directly from our brain will probably be one of the great leap forward. We have the technology in hand. Project BrainGate is one of them.

BrainGate is a brain implant system, currently under development and in clinical trials, designed to help those who have lost control of their limbs, or other bodily functions, such as patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal cord injury. The sensor, which is implanted into the brain, monitors brain activity in the patient and converts the intention of the user into computer commands.

Though aimed to help with disability, focusing on people who lost control of their limbs, at times we feel disable in the same way working on a flat surface in a 2D screen with a keyboard and a mouse.

There is no reason we why cannot use technology like BrainGate to replace our input devices and probably the outputs as well in the future. We will have more control, always work in 3D.  An additional dimension is also not impossible.

Presently technology like Kinect is already well capable of gesture recognition. Wearable computer is just a few steps away. Projects like google glass promises the computers to recognize our surroundings.

I can almost visualize myself using a wearable computer and operating it without having to have any external input interface and getting into much richer information, communication and processing world. An Integrated computing and communications environment where we are not expected to put on a wired gloves or a bulky glass maybe just a headband and a computer with power source.

Happy computing!

Reference: http://www.braingate.com/faq.html

http://braingate2.org/braingateSystem.asp

http://www.gizmag.com/go/3503/

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/brain.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinect

http://googleglassproject.org/

http://www.praecogito.com/~brudy/wearable.html

http://bigthink.com/humanizing-technology/thought-control-paralyzed-woman-sips-coffee-with-brain-computer-interface-and-robotic-arm

http://blog.ted.com/2012/06/12/make-room-for-robots-ted-ebook-maps-out-an-emerging-human-tech-co-evolution/

tag: braingate, interface, input, input device, wearable computer, computer interface

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