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January 4, 2007
Robots via Human Thought
A group of students from the University of Washington have created a robot they can control using their thoughts with a 94% success rate.
Although mind reading robots are a long ways off, this research is the first step towards a future where humans use the most powerful computer at their disposal to control them; the brain.
The in-house built robot is connected to a computer which reads brain wave signals from a person using a cap studded with electrodes. The software can correctly translate the brain signals into simple instructions fed to the robot. Right now a person can instruct the robot to move forward, differentiate between two objects, pick one up and move it to another location. The team hopes with further research, the instructions can become more complex perhaps daisy-chaining them to complete more complicated tasks.
Although the robot they're using seems innocent and demure, how long do you suppose it'll be before it somehow becomes self-aware, turning our brain waves against us? In cases like this, I recommend the alpha training technique used for dogs. Always make direct eye contact with the bot, sniff its behind, and force it on it's back every now and then so it knows who's boss.
Posted by tranism at 11:49 AM | Permalink
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Comments
wow, this'll be an incredible advancement for automony of handicapped folk... but total scary for its the military ramifications.
Posted by: A.J. at January 4, 2007 1:08 PM