NASA develops 'mind-reading' [nerve signal reading] system

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a NASA-developed system that can read nerve signals to interpret silently spoken words. Participants explore the implications, potential applications, and personal experiences related to this technology, touching on both its innovative aspects and possible drawbacks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the technology's ability to recognize nerve signals from the tongue and vocal cords, suggesting it could facilitate communication in noisy environments or assist individuals with speech impairments.
  • Others express concerns about privacy and unintended consequences, such as thoughts being inadvertently transmitted to a computer, potentially jeopardizing employment.
  • A participant shares a personal experience of feeling a disconnect with their arm, relating it to the concept of mind control and the potential for controlling devices with thought.
  • Some participants speculate on the broader implications of the technology, including its potential for telepathy or enhanced human-machine interaction.
  • Questions arise regarding NASA's motivations for developing this technology, with some participants doubting its relevance to current NASA projects.
  • Links to external resources about mind-reading technology and brain-machine interfaces are shared, although one participant is questioned about the relevance of their contributions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of fascination and skepticism regarding the technology, with no clear consensus on its applications or implications. Some agree on its innovative potential, while others raise concerns about privacy and practicality.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the speculative nature of the technology's applications and express uncertainty about its direct benefits to NASA's current projects. The discussion includes various assumptions about the technology's capabilities and implications.

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A computer program which can read silently spoken words by analysing nerve signals in our mouths and throats, has been developed by NASA.

Preliminary results show that using button-sized sensors, which attach under the chin and on the side of the Adam's apple, it is possible to pick up and recognise nerve signals and patterns from the tongue and vocal cords that correspond to specific words.

"Biological signals arise when reading or speaking to oneself with or without actual lip or facial movement," says Chuck Jorgensen, a neuroengineer at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, in charge of the research. Just the slightest movements in the voice box and tongue is all it needs to work, he says. [continued]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994795
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
i had what felt like a mind control experience the other day, it really was quite strange.

What happened was i woke up with a completele dead arm ( i probalbly slept on it), but i couldn't feel it atall, i felt like my arm was in another place completele! physically i couldn't move my fingers normally, like i am doing pressing this keyboard (they go on there own, seemingly), but when i thought "move finger", my finger moved :) It was great :)

I saw something on this the other day, its really quite remarkable how people can control computers with their minds. Now all we need is smaller more portable sensors, and we could be controlling everything with our minds :) and maybe (with this is audio-vibatry physio molecular (:P) sound system which vibrate your head) maybe telepathy in some form or another could become possible :)
 
Thats some pretty neat stuff. Unfortunately this also might have some drawbacks. Imagine your boss walks into your cubicle while your writing a report in MS Word or OOo. You start having a conversation with him, but in your mind your calling him an idiot. Then the computer goes off and starts typing what your thinking. You could soon be out of a job if there isn't an off switch. :eek:
 
You know, I guess I had better plan to be self employed for good. :redface:
 
Applications for Subvocal Speech
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
http://www.techbriefs.com/content/view/1110/34/ edward_ray_lee

Chuck Jorgensen
http://www.nasatech.com/NEWS/May04/who_0504.html edward_ray_lee

INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS DIVISION
Ames Research Center ( NASA )
http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/projects/subVocal/ edward_ray_lee

NASA - Subvocal Speech Demo
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2004/subvocal/subvocal.html edward_ray_lee

NASA Develops System To Computerize Silent, "Subvocal Speech"
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/mar/HQ_04093_subvocal_speech.html edward_ray_lee

NASA researchers can hear what you're saying, even when you don't make a sound.
http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2006/0410/084.html edward_ray_lee

NASA speech research could help the disabled - The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/heal...nasa_speech_research_could_help_the_disabled/ edward_ray_lee

Speaking Without Saying a Word - TFOT
http://www.tfot.info/articles.php?itemId=28/58/ edward_ray_lee

SubVocal Speach Video
http://ti.arc.nasa.gov/projects/nel/Projects/subvocal_speech.htm edward_ray_lee

Subvocal Speech
Making Sense of the Research etc
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=225 edward_ray_lee

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocal_recognition
 
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Is there some reason you keep typing your name after each link? You aren't mentioned in anything.
 
I'm wondering what NASAs motivation behind developing this technology is. It doesn't seem to be something that would be a huge benefit to any of their current or near future projects... it doesn't sound at all like something NASA would be directly involved with.
 
To answer your question Evo
The links are from a group folder that was copyed unto my post.

And to answer your question B. Elliott


By Bob Hirshon
Listening to the sound of silence.
I'm Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.


You've heard of reading lips. Now, NASA scientists are reading throats. Or more precisely, the nerve signals that tell your throat and tongue to form words.

Chuck Jorgensen is Chief of Neuroengineering at the NASA-Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. By placing sensors on the chin and Adam's apple, his team can identify several simple words when a speaker only mouths them—or less.

Jorgenson:
Some folks will choose to have their mouth completely closed, and the only thing that's going on is tiny movements of the tongue or tension that they have in their vocal cords.

He says the technology could help astronauts understand each other on space flights, where differences in the atmosphere and gravity make it hard to speak and hear clearly. It could also be useful in emergencies.

Jorgensen:
So if someone's muscles, for example, have deteriorated because of microgravity, or if they're physically injured so they can't speak, there is the possibility of directly tapping the nervous system and still controlling the emergency devices that they might need.

Here on earth, the system could help pilots and air traffic controllers communicate over loud noise. And someday, it might serve as a translator for patients with vocal cord damage. I'm Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the Science Society.
 
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  • #11
Bunting said:
i had what felt like a mind control experience the other day, it really was quite strange.

What happened was i woke up with a completele dead arm ( i probalbly slept on it), but i couldn't feel it atall, i felt like my arm was in another place completele! physically i couldn't move my fingers normally, like i am doing pressing this keyboard (they go on there own, seemingly), but when i thought "move finger", my finger moved :) It was great :)

I saw something on this the other day, its really quite remarkable how people can control computers with their minds. Now all we need is smaller more portable sensors, and we could be controlling everything with our minds :) and maybe (with this is audio-vibatry physio molecular (:P) sound system which vibrate your head) maybe telepathy in some form or another could become possible :)

Dude, did you ever watch "Ghost in the Shell" or read the manga of the same name? That's pretty much the premise of the movie/TV-series/comics/etc. where almost all humans are physically at one with their machinery. So, if you watch the movie or TV-series, you'd see that they could communicate "telepathically" using their cybernetic implants.
 
  • #12
B. Elliott said:
I'm wondering what NASAs motivation behind developing this technology is. It doesn't seem to be something that would be a huge benefit to any of their current or near future projects... it doesn't sound at all like something NASA would be directly involved with.
It's useful to replace throat mikes where either the background noise is high (aircraft cockpits) or you don't want to make any noise (infantry radios).

It doesn't really read minds you have to think about vocalising the words, it reads the nerve impusles to your mouth/throat/vocal chords etc.

ps. Nasa doesn't just do space - the majority of Nasa is research in aviation.
 
  • #13
dduardo said:
Thats some pretty neat stuff. Unfortunately this also might have some drawbacks. Imagine your boss walks into your cubicle while your writing a report in MS Word or OOo. You start having a conversation with him, but in your mind your calling him an idiot. Then the computer goes off and starts typing what your thinking. You could soon be out of a job if there isn't an off switch. :eek:

They only way that'd happen is if you were going to call him one anyways, because all it does is read the nerve signals sent from the brain to your mouth and throat.