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'Thought-Pad' Displays Could Replace Touchpads

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 11-04-10 | Comments

If the touchpad on your smartphone is getting you down, it may be time to consider a "thought-pad." A major breakthrough in brain-computer interface technology could soon lead to displays controllable using only the mind.

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'Thought-Pad' Displays Could Replace Touchpads
If you're like most professionals, recent advances in touchpad screens are saving you time. On your smartphone or tablet PC, you can quickly switch between applications, check e-mail and surf the Web�all with just the touch of a finger. Now imagine how fast your computing could be if you could do all of these tasks simply by thinking about them. A research project at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shown that such "thought-pad" computing may soon be achievable.

In the groundbreaking study, simply thinking about a specific image forced the computer to display it (source: NINDS).

The study, which was recently published in Nature, showed that it is possible to control complicated computer displays using only the mind. During the project, research subjects were cranially connected to a computer displaying two merged images. Simply by focusing on one image, the subjects used sheer brain power to force the computer to display it and discard the other.

"The subjects were able to use their thoughts to override the images they saw on the computer screen," said the study's lead author, Itzhak Fried, M.D., Ph.D., in a statement about the research. Fried is a professor of neurosurgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The research marks a major breakthrough in the field of developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). BCIs allow users to control computers and other devices with their thoughts. BCIs could someday be used for more efficient computing, and they could also help paralyzed people communicate or control prosthetic limbs.

Next: Exploring How Brain Handles Thoughts >>

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