At present, computers rely on human beings for words, either typewritten or spoken, to serve as commands. But what if computers can decipher words even before they are written or spoken?
Japanese scientists recently developed what is being referred to as a "mind-reading" device, which can turn brainwaves into words, The Daily Mail reported.
The researchers were able to develop this remarkable device after discovering that electrical activity in the human brain is the same, whether words are spoken or left unsaid.
The research team, led by brain computer interface expert Professor Yamazaki Toshimasa from the Kyushu Institute of Technology, particularly focused on a part of the brain called the Broca's area, which is believed to be responsible for human's speech and language skills.
Using this principle, the "mind-reading" device's developers were able to identify distinct wave forms produced by the brain and were able to decipher the Japanese words for "goo," "scissors" and "par" even before they are uttered.
How exactly were they able to "listen" to words before they were said? The researchers made use of a method called electroencephalogram, or EEG, which keeps tabs of the brain's electrical ability using an array of electrodes attached to the scalp to detect the brain waves.
What is more astounding is the fact that the scientists claim they can also identify brain waves for particular Japanese syllables or letters, raising the possibility that this technology can be a step towards mental telepathy in the future.
At the start of their research, the scientists measured the brainwaves of 12 men, women and children as they recited a series of Japanese words.
The researchers saw that certain syllables correspond with a distinct brain wave activity, which can be seen two seconds before the actual words were uttered. They then built a database on which brainwave matches which syllable.
When presented before the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, the device was able to identify single characters up to 88 percent of the time.
Professor Toshimasa is optimistic that this technology can be tapped in the future to help paralytics regain their ability to communicate.
