Samsung And The University Of Texas Conspire For Thought Controlled Tablets

Over the last few years there have been quite a few products come to market that boast the ability to be controlled using your thoughts. Most of these items have been thought-controlled toys, but we have seen systems that promise to allow you to control your music using your thoughts. Electronics giant Samsung is working with researchers at the University of Texas on a project that has to do with providing control of a tablet using brain waves.

This could be very significant, particularly for users that have limited mobility due to disease or paralysis caused from an accident. The project Samsung and the researchers are working on uses EEG caps to give users control over tablets and smartphones. Samsung is reportedly wanting to take this technology mainstream.

For now, the technology is limited to use with those that have disabilities. The system has participants wear EEG caps that are able to measure the electrical activity along the scalp. The participants in the program are able to make selections on the tablet screen by focusing on an icon that flashes at a distinct frequency from others on the screen.

The system is able to recognize those different flashing frequencies as a unique electrical pattern. The researchers say that for now the system has an accuracy of about 80 to 95%. It also allows the participants to make selections approximately every 5 seconds. One goal of the project is to create an interface that is less invasive than currently required. Ideally, Samsung researchers will be able to create a system for users to wear all day long using something such as a hat. There is no indication of when this technology might be ready for mainstream use.

[via Engadget]