NextMind to control devices using your brain

By Kshitiz Agrawal

Using your brain’s ability to increase the volume on the TV may be something lazy people fantasize about, and it may soon be possible. According to NextMind, with the help of its $399 brain-to-computer interface (BCI) gear.

It is a small and round device with a clip on the back of its head.

The technology’s principle is similar to that of electroencephalograms (EEG), which are now used primarily in hospital rooms. NextMind’s technology, like EEGs, monitors the brain’s electrical activity and “reads” the signals to figure out what information gets delivered to the body.

The technique converts brain activity into a digital command for suitable devices after capturing and translating it. If the user’s brain sends a signal to change the TV channel, for example, the wearable can do it without the need for remote control or even moving their hand.

“The eyes generate an image of these items in the visual brain when you see many objects,” stated NextMind CEO Sid Kouider. “The cortex amplifies a particular image if you mentally decide to focus on it.” The NextMind gadget can interpret whatever object you’re picking and relay the data to the display in real-time.”

Users may focus their attention on the necessary region of the screen to activate actions such as play, stop, or crank up the volume, in this case, on a TV display.

Another possible use for NextMind’s technology is gaming: instead of needing a joystick, players might focus on their target and fire at them. When combined with a VR headset, it’s simple to see how BCI may further enhance the whole experience.

However, this sort of NextMind technology application is still in the future. Although Kouider has shown how the gadget can control a TV or a game, the business aims to encourage developers to create new brain-controlled settings and apps.

It’s yet unclear if the new wearable will overcome the present limits of BCIs, such as the skin, hair, and bone between the visual brain and the gadget, which weakens the electrical signals.

“There are several challenges, but they all boil down to one thing: increasing the bandwidth of the brain signal to record them. NextMind developed a new gadget with two advancements.

According to Schaefer, the notion is not implausible, but only to a limited extent. You can probably guess what a user is thinking, but only from a small set of possible outcomes — like a flower or a racket. That is why gaming, in which you have a fixed area, would be a fun application.

However, if you have no idea what you’re thinking and put a headband on your head, you should be doubtful that it can accurately reconstruct what you’re thinking.

Meanwhile, there’s something to look forward to NextMind’s invitation to partners to “play around” with BCI might lead to unexpected breakthroughs for your toolkits and developers.