The advances in technology keep going on at an ever increasing pace. More and more gadgets coming on the market are like directly materializing concepts seen in spy or Sci-Fi movies. A new prototype uses an iPlayer version to allow users change TV channels with their mind. The device makes use of people's brainwaves to control the iPlayer.
The BBC concept takes advantage of the latest advances in technology. Users have to strap on a headset with sensors that gather their brainwaves in order to use particular thoughts to control the device. The iPlayer can be turned only by the power of the mind, and then viewers can start watching the TV channel of their choice.
At the moment, this is only an experimental technology. The prototype was built only to show what we can expect from this kind of technology in the near future. The BBC said that the device worked well for everyone who was testing it.
The principle behind this prototype is using a special sensor that can read brainwaves. One sensor is incorporated in the headset that rests on the forehead, and a clip is used to attach another sensor to the ear. Both sensors have the purpose to track the low electricity moving around the brain. Any electricity concentration in the brain is immediately detected. When a person concentrates hard enough, the brainwaves will produce a slightly higher electrical signal. This change is detected by the sensors and will trigger a change on screen.
This mind reading technology has been used before only in military applications and assisting flight pilots. Eventually, the technology will migrate to the consumer electronics market and could be used to create a new kind of iPlayer with improved accessibility for disabled users.
This new technology can be as well an easier and more convenient way to control gadgets without the need to use one's hands. Less intense variants of this technology has been already integrated in similar applications such as the iPlayer on Xbox One that can be controlled via voice commands.
The BBC's prototype is just an experiment to help an initial understanding of the potential applications of using brainwaves and the power of our mind to control devices. In the years to come, it is expected that this new technology will just become a common occurrence and such is to be implemented and adopted in all the gadgets we use in our daily lives.
