The Possibility of Mind Control: Commanding Computers with Your Thoughts

[Moni]

Is there any possibilites that we can command our computers through Mind?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Yes. It's been done, but with VERY low bandwidth, just a proof of principle really. The subjects wore head caps/bands that could pick up EEG waves, and were wired to computers from there. The subjects could self-train to send bits to the computer by focussing their thoughts.

 

[Jeebus]

Originally posted by selfAdjoint
Yes. It's been done, but with VERY low bandwidth, just a proof of principle really. The subjects wore head caps/bands that could pick up EEG waves, and were wired to computers from there. The subjects could self-train to send bits to the computer by focussing their thoughts.

That's crazy. Hey, selfAdjoint when was this done, as in what year?

 

[selfAdjoint]

I believe I read about it in the 70's, in some science magazine, or could be a computer magazine.. The computer was a mainframe, about all they had in those days. All the technology would seem tremendously outdated now, but nobody can deny that it worked.

Here's a report on more recent research of this kind. You'll note the reference to more than twenty years of previous work.

 

[Moni]

Hmm... read, but how one can understand that this Signal represents this, that ... that?

This projects builds on twenty years of research in the brain sciences and on recent developments in adaptive computing. In the 1970s it was discovered that subtle changes occur in the EEG when we plan movements. These changes are called Movement-Related Desynchronisations (or MRDs for short) because when movements are planned the activity of neurons in the motor cortex becomes desynchronised. But the MRD signals are tiny. They are rarely bigger than a few tens of microvolts and are often buried beneath other signals. We therefore need to use advanced pattern recognition methods, such as neural networks, to detect the MRD signals. For more information on this and for a general overview of BCIs see our review.

And it's very surprizing that they worked about it in 1970's...

 

[selfAdjoint]

I think the old research didn't use those subtle signals. Rather they trained the users to raise coarser bran waves through concentration. "SEND a bit, Send a bit... Must send a bit".

 

[Moni]

Hmm...then computer sciencitists have to be expert on Brain Structure and Functions :(

 

[Skunkmere]

shoot the moon

i saw on the boob tube that they had this pilot in a flight simulator that she was piloting using her thoughts and she was contolling the balance of the wing (i donno what it called).

 

[toasty]

Interesting topic if badly titled

Sure - if you assumed that though is a physical event then it can be done.

The more interesting topic could have been - how can computers be made more like the human mind - assuming OC that we can find out how the mind works.

 

[ahrkron]

And what about training the same guys to try to "pick up" similar signals, put by the computer on the same electrodes used as interface?

 

[toloXXX]

Neural science, robotics can be of great help...
What joint said was true, I have seen some and yes, crazily amazing. :)

Hi, I am new, just hope I won't make anyone unhappy because of my presence...:)

 

[expscv]

Neural science, still need another 15 years to achieve something i guess.

 

[davilla]

The more interesting topic could have been - how can computers be made more like the human mind

Seems a bit broad to me, but if you really think it's interesting then start a new thread.

 

[Brad_R]

from the mind? no. that technology doesn't exist in the public sector. from electrical impulses sensed on the head? sure why not. The definitions of how the mind works are still only theory; picking up impulses from skin sensors are real inputs.

If that technology to read a mind existed, the military would have great interest, and maybe your local police also. okay everyone line up, we want to scan your mind and if youre thinking of a crime, we will arrest you now and save us all the hassle.

 

[Brad_R]

The more interesting topic could have been - how can computers be made more like the human mind - assuming OC that we can find out how the mind works

This has been done, Neural Networks was thought to have much hope in making thinking machines. But like cold fusion it didnt really work as expected. NN does provide useful technology, just not thought. you can get very adaptive robot control, not much else.

 

[force5]

How it started?

If I remember correctly, this whole thing started back in the 60's. I was designing Hospital Information Systems at the time and got to know some guys that were using the same process to help patients control certain functions such as blood pressure. By the patient receiving graphical feedback from certain brain activity, they could learn to recognize major changes in things like alpha waves to help them manage or control negative effects of this activity.

 

[sol2]

http://superstringtheory.com/forum/futureboard/messages9/128.html


http://www.wireheading.com/brainstim/monkey.jpg


Going one step further, her team then trained the monkey to simply think about a movement, without reaching out and touching the screen. A computer program, hooked up to the implanted electrodes, interpreted the monkey's thoughts by tracking flare-ups of brain cell activity. The computer then moved a cursor on the computer screen in accordance with the monkey's desires--left or right, up or down, wherever ``the electrical (brain) pattern tells us the monkey is planning to reach,'' according to Meeker.

http://superstringtheory.com/forum/futureboard/messages9/129.html