Have you ever envisioned a time when you could type a message or launch an application simply by thinking about it, rather than tapping the screen or using the mouse? It sounds like a science fiction film.
That’s precisely what Meta’s most recent experimental technology aims to do.A story by the media, based on research published in the renowned scientific journal Nature, claims that Meta has created a wristband that can detect electrical signals from your muscles and utilize them to control gadgets like computers and cellphones. The intriguing thing is that you don’t even need to move. Your intention to move can be understood by the bracelet, and that is sufficient to cause a response to appear on the screen. The gadget is still being developed, of course, but according to Meta, it might be ready for the market in a few years.
Researchers at Meta’s Reality Labs created this wristband, which uses an electromyography (EMG) technique. It interprets electrical impulses that leave the brain and reach the muscles, particularly the forearm. Your brain sends messages when you consider moving a finger or wrist, and this device receives those impulses before your muscles ever respond. “You don’t have to actually move,” said Thomas Reardon, Meta’s VP of research, in an interview. “You just have to intend the move.”
AI is used by the technology to interpret these muscle signals. Meta collected data from over 10,000 individuals who wore the prototype wristband. The team trained the system to identify patterns associated with particular movements using machine learning. This implies that there would be no need to start teaching it from scratch because even a novice user could put on the band and begin using it. “Out of the box, it can work with a new user it has never seen data for,” said Patrick Kaifosh, one of the scientists leading the project.
The primary distinction between this and brain-implant technology such as Neuralink is the non-invasive nature of Meta’s wristband. You simply wear it like a smartwatch; surgery is not necessary. Both the general public and those with mobility impairments can use it more easily and safely as a result. It is already being tested by Carnegie Mellon researchers to help individuals with spinal cord injuries use computers even when their hand function is limited. “We can see their intention to type,” said Douglas Weber, professor at Carnegie Mellon.
Although the concept of reading your thoughts may seem a little sci-fi, the wristband’s creators are clear that it isn’t truly capable of doing so. “It feels like the device is reading your mind, but it is not. It is just translating your intention. It sees what you are about to do,” Reardon said.
Thus far, the prototype has demonstrated that users can use tiny finger gestures or just their intention to control a mouse, type words, and even write letters in the air that appear on a screen. Individual muscle fibers can even be activated with practice without causing any outward movement.
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