08.09.2009

Berlin Brain-Computer Interface

A machine that reads minds: Two people are seated before a monitor and are playing Pong. However, to move the digital paddles they are not using their hands, rather the power of their minds. What sounds like science fiction has long been reality in Adlershof, thanks to the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface, a new ground breaking development from Fraunhofer FIRST. In cooperation with the Charité Medical Center, an interface has been established between the human brain and the PC. The principle is based on the electrical activity of the brain in the form of the electro-encephalogram (EEG). These electrical signals are boosted and transmitted to a computer that, in turn, converts them into technical control signals. Summary: thoughts can move cursors, and cursors can initiate actions. The areas of potential application for the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface in the future are diverse: for starters, as aids to communication for handicapped people, control over prosthetic limbs, and wheel chairs. Of course, the computer games industry as well as occupant safety features in the automobile sector are also likely to benefit from this innovative technology.

More information: www.first.fraunhofer.de