Brainwaves Become Commands

Great article on Makezine with two videos showing how a company named Neurosky is developing technology which reads controllable states of your brain to allow control of objects within a virtual space.  Their mission mentions both additions to the gaming industry as well as allowing individuals to control real-world objects such as wheelchairs.

This is truly breakthrough interface technology.  But…

Currently, we have ‘Net addiction, Crackberry addiction and research beginning to show how our constant immersion in multitasking environments are creating stress and discomfort and detracting from our lives.  The question must be asked: as individuals modify their mental patterns to control these devices, what negative ramifications will this have on the future youth?  I could certainly see this becoming an issue in which constant practice drives a form of neural addiction.

MIT’s 3D Installation Pwns Roger Rabbit

You have to watch the video to appreciate what they’ve developed at MIT.  Using an interactive display to create virtual artifacts in virtual space, tagged to a specific location in the real world.  Then, moving the display around, allows you to view the virtual object from all sides.  Certainly something to watch.

‘Wii warm-up’ good for surgeons via Gizmodo

Specific games, requiring fine motor skills, were found to benefit surgeons’ skills when operating in a simulator.  The belief is that the dexterity requirements “warm up” the surgeons and better prepare them for surgical work.  Further proof that some bad things are good for you.

Two interesting articles on work to replace and upgrade human vision.  To begin, Gizmodo covers research to replace the retina with a micro-camera.  The mission being to replace lost vision with a chip that would record and stimulate the natural optical nerves with a chip. 

The second article, from medGadget, reports on an attempt to embed a visual feed into something as basic as a contact lens.  This would allow for a wide range of use from tourism to combat assistance to gaming, as the feed, if combined with GPS and directional awareness, could be overlayed on what the viewer can see in the moment. This could also have influence on education and psychology by adding/removing visual influences which might cause stress or distraction.

Naturally, once somone’s retina is replaced, it should be simple to include this type of visual overlay.

Robots Evolve and Learn How to Lie

Short and informative on a robot experiment in which the robots are affixed with “genes” that predisposed their light sensitivity and response to light.  From there, they were allowed to procreate, and pass on successful genes.  50 generations in, they learn to communicate about food sources and even begin to develop special characteristics.

“Take a Set” a Chair that Follows You

The video is worth more than any words I can set down.  Makes me wish I was a better 3D animator.  Would be fascinating to create an environment in which an avatar could move through the terrain and the terrain would respond automatically.  Imagine a living room where, as more people arrive for a party, the seating automatically expands/rearranges to allow for adequate space and comfort for everyone to remain engaged as part of the group.

Project Aiko

A project to build an android is taking place in Canada.  Designed to mimic the human ability to feel pain, partially as an effort build limbs to help amputees replace lost tactile function (specifically mentions pain, which is an interested starting point).

Quote from the site “It is my dream to have Aiko be as human-like as possible. I’m not sure
if it is possible, but there is no way to find out unless I try.”

Meets a few of my categories:

Body Alteration: Ability to replace lost body parts.

Intimacy/Recreation: Tactile function at a distance?  Will take teledildonics to new levels.  Bots which are capable of sex, but offer a more human level of interaction, may allow for more fulfilling relationships.

Healing/Psychology: We can only assume prosthetics with the ability to replicate nerve function would allow for more complete recovery for amputees (and possibly to discover methods for individuals with irreversible nerve damage) over time.

Interface: Would this allow us to use robotics to “feel” items at a distance?  Certainly a step up for surgeons operating from a distance and engineers manufacturing technology by hand.

Intra-Body Communication: Use Your Body to Download Data

Using the body to complete a loop through which data can flow is a brilliant method for allowing humans to use tactile manipulation to identify, select and receive data.  A bit more like hunting and gathering than any of our current interfaces.  I do wonder how this, combined with multitouch interfaces and cheap LCDs will change our interaction with our environment?

I also wonder what the medical repercussions may be?  Current belief of wi-fi contributing to autism (Wi-Fi linked to childhood autism – debunked by Ars Technica, so the research continues) is a concern and any time we send electrical impulses through the body, there is a need for consideration of the risks involved.

Wireless ID Skin Patch Technology via Gizmodo

The thought of embedded RFID chips has caused some fear.  Yet, the technology has many valuable applications and medical is just one of them.  At least with this form of bandage, we can enjoy the benefits without so many risks.

Bug Labs

From the site: “BUG is a collection of easy-to-use electronic
modules that snap together to build any gadget you can imagine. Each
BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (ex: a camera, a
keyboard, a video output, etc.). You decide which functions to include
and BUG takes care of the rest, letting you try out different combinations quickly and easily. With BUG
and the integrated programming environment/online community (BUGnet),
anyone can build, program and share innovative devices and
applications. We don’t define the final products – you do.”

Combining this technology with open source software and OS will allow all of us more freedom in what capabilities our tech will include.  The freedom to pair hardware parts to software to more hardware will open up our ability to create an environment to match our needs/wants. 

It will also mean we can select what type of inputs to provide our robots/house software/sex dolls.  It will also mean lawbreakers will possess a massive range of technologies to perpetrate crime.