Brain-computer interface for Second Life

Keio University bioengineers have demonstrated the control of a Second Life avatar using a non-invasive brain-computer interface. The news release is in Japanese but the Neurophilosophy blog reports that the device monitors electrical activity in the motoro cortex via external electrodes on the scalp. A video demonstration is also available on the site. From Neurophilosophy:

All a user has to do to control his/her avatar is imagine performing various movements. The activity monitored by the headpiece is read and plotted by an electroencephalogram, which relays it to a computer running a brain wave analysis algorithm that interprets the imagined movements. A keyboard emulator then translates the data into signals which can be used to control the movements of the user's on-screen avatar in real-time.

Link to Neurophilosophy, Link to YouTube video, Link to Keio University news release

[#1 posted by Cpt. Tim , October 15, 2007 9:10 AM]

it looks kind of like a brain slug.

[#2 posted by Peter K. , October 15, 2007 9:12 AM]

It's fine enough that this is working for video games, but I'm more interested in whether it works for individuals with various forms of paralysis or movement related disabilities.

Is this something Steven Hawking or others could be using to facilitate communication or real-world locomotion more effectively?

[#3 posted by jere7my , October 15, 2007 9:22 AM]

The picture on the left looks a lot like a Muppet staring directly at the camera. It took me a moment to see that it was a person in profile.

[#4 posted by David Pescovitz , October 15, 2007 9:43 AM]

@Jere7my (#3), Totally! At first it looked like some strange plushie/hat the person was wearing.

[#5 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator , October 15, 2007 9:45 AM]

Peter K., if it works, of course it will get used for such purposes. In the meantime, Second Life is a great environment for development and testing.

[#6 posted by Adam Rakunas , October 15, 2007 9:56 AM]

This is very, very cool. As this controller becomes more refined and starts incorporating more SL commands (thought-controlled object construction? Sweet!), this is going to make virtual worlds that much more powerful as a storytelling/meeting/prototyping medium. And as virtual worlds start adding more gestural controls, this rig will live up to the promise of "Snow Crash."

I just hope they can filter out user frustration when the grid crashes.

[#7 posted by changescat , October 15, 2007 10:50 AM]

How exactly like the brilliant Cronenberg film eXistenZ is this? (the actual brain-interface at the end, that is, not the organic pod things).

[#8 posted by Francis Siefken , October 15, 2007 1:16 PM]

Imagine combining this with relatively cheap stereovision goggles (like the z800), headtracking wouldn't even be necessary as you would move by thought alone.

I doubt if the BMI signals are finegrained enough to replace the efficiency of a mouse or the movement of your head, even in forseeable future. For VR applications and games perhaps 2 Wii like gesture controllers for the hands, combined with built in headtracker in the visor will be more practical.

But for people having muscle diseases and other handicaps research like this offers much potential.

[#9 posted by Michael , October 15, 2007 5:18 PM]

Wow. I just want to go on record as having said, "Wow." I like this century, even with the bitter pills we're having to swallow.

Also: I, too, saw the Muppet. Weird.

[#10 posted by dharma rascal , October 15, 2007 8:43 PM]

Check out the YouTube comments - classic...