This story on CNN caught my attention today. It shows a guy wearing a funny looking cap that enables him to post on Twitter...directly from his brain. "Look Ma, no hands!". The Brain Computer Interface, or "BCI" is not your typical computer input device. The user wears a stylish red and blue cap, complete with a fashionable wiring harness hanging off the back. It looks like Michael Phelps meets Do-Rags... in the Matrix. This cap contains a series of electrodes which pick up electronic signals from the brain and transmit them to the computer. Now that's some impressive coding.
As this technology progresses, the implications are pretty staggering. The military has long coveted such a capability. It will take the concept of "Unmanned Drone" to a whole new level. Other potential uses for the BCI could range from surgical procedures to space exploration, manufacturing, live broadcasting, and even traffic control. Or reverse the signal and get a "Brain Massage".
One day in the not-so-distant future, some form of BCI will be included with your personal computer. Mac users BCI's will be better, of course. Just make sure you're not thinking about that lunchtime rendezvous with your secretary while the wife is looking. And if you have Turrets syndrome, you'll need to purchase the "Brain Spam Filter" from the BCI App Store.
