Author: Nilanjana Chakraborty
Picture this: You’re at your computer, thinking about emailing your boss. Without typing anything, your thoughts magically appear on the screen as the computer reads your mind. Taking it a step further, imagine thinking about your boss, and after confirming with you, the computer sends the email all by itself. Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right? Well, this is where technology is heading.
What you just imagined is Brain-Computer Communication. It’s like telepathy, but instead of sharing thoughts with people, Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) let us share thoughts with computers or sensors just by thinking.
But how does it work? It’s a four-step process called MIND: Measure, Interpret, Encode, and Deploy. BCIs read your brain activity (Measure), figure out what you want the machine to do (Interpret), turn that into signals the computer understands (Encode), and then make the computer act on it (Deploy).
BCIs can do many things, from everyday tasks to helping people who can’t move their arms or legs. For example, if someone has trouble talking, they can use BCIs to help them communicate. If someone lost a leg or arm and got a fake one, they could control it just like a natural limb by thinking about it. BCIs can make video game characters move by using your thoughts, making the game more fun.
BCIs aren’t just for fun; they can also help doctors monitor your health. They can even make learning easier. Imagine your computer knowing when you’re most focused and how you learn best — whether by seeing, hearing, or reading. BCIs can also give your brain special exercises to make it even brighter.
BCIs can also be like a super-secure device key. By recognizing how your brain works, they ensure it’s you using your computer, not someone else.
Now, you might wonder if you need surgery to get BCIs into your brain. Well, you have options. Some BCIs need surgery, while others just strap onto your head like a hat. Companies like NextMind are making BCIs that don’t need surgery.
In a nutshell, BCIs let your brain talk to computers. They can make life easier and change how we do things in the future. The more we discover, the more we realize that BCIs are like technology superheroes, opening up new and exciting possibilities in connecting with machines.
