In a three part series this week I’ll be looking at a device that seems stripped from the pages of a sci-fi novel. Today’s installment introduces this cutting-edge gadget which not only has the potential to revolutionize communication, but to alter the very way we think.
Consider the amount of time in a day you spend on the internet, browsing for information. The popularity of Wikipedia alone is a testament to an entire culture obsessed not only with being as educated as possible but in contributing to the education of others. And it’s not simply the encyclopaedia market that’s being tapped here. News outlets have embraced the web with open arms as I’m sure you’re well aware. Google News is particularly interesting as it offers a relatively unbiased array of topics snagged right from the headlines of thousands of publications. As a culture that becomes more and more engaged with (and I daresay, reliant upon) the internet, we depend on technology to facilitate our cyber-interactions. However, every now and then a device comes along that does not simply facilitate but simply revolutionizes the entire culture. And that’s what Ambient Corporation is set to do with their neckband that translates nerve impulses into speech.
Let’s step back here a bit. The device, first and foremost, has a very practical, immediate application in providing a means of communication to those who have lost the ability to speak, such as ALS suffers. By interpreting nerve signals sent to the vocal cords the device can recognize roughly 150 words. Since the technology is interpreting the words based on nerve signals and not sound waves, it is not necessary to actually vocalize a word (or a command). In practice, this isn’t all that different from communication by thought alone. The difference here is that the user has to make a conscious, trained effort to actuate the signals. So no, you won’t be reading anyone’s thoughts anytime soon. However, there is a much larger application for this device, one capable of vastly changing the way we communicate and, more importantly, the way we learn. Check back tomorrow for the second part of the series in which we’ll discuss the incredible application of this device and it’s implications on the future of technology and communications, as well as footage of the device in action.
