A brainwave gadget that blocks phone calls
I would like to have such a "mentally activated" gadget, which, knowing that I am very busy, will ask to call me back later, and not distract me at the moments of concentration.
I hasten to share the news that such a gadget is coming soon! Here is a translation of a recent article from Business Week about a prototype created during the AT & T hackathon and winning the top prize of $ 30,000.
A neurologist and former software engineer Ruggero Scorzioni was often distracted by incoming calls when he worked. “If I encode or think about scientific research, then distracting phone calls make it difficult to go to a concentrated state of the brain,” says Scorzioni, 42, "Maybe you have a great idea, but it can slip away."
In January of 2013, Skorcioni participated in the hackathon on developing mobile applications from AT & T. His idea was born after the contest participants were given a gift: a cat-ear headset created by Neuro-wear with sensors that monitor the owner’s brain activity and pick up motorized fluffy ears during periods of high brain activity. Scorzio, who just completed an internship at the Neuroscience Institute in La Jolla, California, decided to make a “hack” of this headset by creating a “gadget” to block incoming calls when the user is highly concentrated.
The result was a working prototype of the Good Times gadget, which analyzes, in real time, brain wave data emanating from the headset, and then sends commands to the AT & T telephone network to allow or block phone calls. Blocked calls are redirected to an automatic message asking you to call later. Having spent 26 hours, he worked until the last minute of the hakaton, leaving himself only two hours to sleep and shower. Scortion describes the application as a "mentally activated" sign "DO NOT DISTURB".
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A well-made prototype won the AT & T hackathon grand prize of $ 30,000. “It looks simple, but what he did is actually quite difficult,” said Abi Ingle, vice president of ecosystem and innovation at AT & T, noting that the project requires the integration of several interfaces. The neurologist used his prize money to create a personal startup, Brainyno, and in the past few months coded the beta version of the Good Times app. “There is a large potential market for these kinds of applications,” says Chris Bregler, a professor at New York University of Computer Science, although he claims that the brain-computer interface technology is still in its infancy.
Scorzioni, who grew up in a small town Serramazzoni in Italy, spent several years programming for companies such as IBM, before starting to study neuroscience at the age of 29. He became obsessed with brain secrets after his grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While working on a degree at George Mason University, he helped develop a computer program that shows how brain cells change shape as a result of injury or illness.
Scortion plans to sell the Good Times application to corporate clients, but has not yet decided on the date of market entry. At the moment, he is looking for investors and completes the application. He added a feature that allows users to see a representation of their brain waves. By the time he enters the market, he says, the application will recognize levels of brain concentration at which users would like to block incoming phone calls. He says email filtering is the next logical step. “I think everyone will end up wearing such a gadget,” says Scorzioni, holding a cat-ear headset, “but, of course, it won’t look as stupid as this headset.”
Problem : Unwanted phone calls can be distracting at crucial moments.
Solution : Brainwave Headset and Call Filter Software
Funding : Top prize from AT & T Hackathon at $ 30,000.
I hasten to share the news that such a gadget is coming soon! Here is a translation of a recent article from Business Week about a prototype created during the AT & T hackathon and winning the top prize of $ 30,000.
A neurologist and former software engineer Ruggero Scorzioni was often distracted by incoming calls when he worked. “If I encode or think about scientific research, then distracting phone calls make it difficult to go to a concentrated state of the brain,” says Scorzioni, 42, "Maybe you have a great idea, but it can slip away."
In January of 2013, Skorcioni participated in the hackathon on developing mobile applications from AT & T. His idea was born after the contest participants were given a gift: a cat-ear headset created by Neuro-wear with sensors that monitor the owner’s brain activity and pick up motorized fluffy ears during periods of high brain activity. Scorzio, who just completed an internship at the Neuroscience Institute in La Jolla, California, decided to make a “hack” of this headset by creating a “gadget” to block incoming calls when the user is highly concentrated.
The result was a working prototype of the Good Times gadget, which analyzes, in real time, brain wave data emanating from the headset, and then sends commands to the AT & T telephone network to allow or block phone calls. Blocked calls are redirected to an automatic message asking you to call later. Having spent 26 hours, he worked until the last minute of the hakaton, leaving himself only two hours to sleep and shower. Scortion describes the application as a "mentally activated" sign "DO NOT DISTURB".
')
A well-made prototype won the AT & T hackathon grand prize of $ 30,000. “It looks simple, but what he did is actually quite difficult,” said Abi Ingle, vice president of ecosystem and innovation at AT & T, noting that the project requires the integration of several interfaces. The neurologist used his prize money to create a personal startup, Brainyno, and in the past few months coded the beta version of the Good Times app. “There is a large potential market for these kinds of applications,” says Chris Bregler, a professor at New York University of Computer Science, although he claims that the brain-computer interface technology is still in its infancy.
Scorzioni, who grew up in a small town Serramazzoni in Italy, spent several years programming for companies such as IBM, before starting to study neuroscience at the age of 29. He became obsessed with brain secrets after his grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. While working on a degree at George Mason University, he helped develop a computer program that shows how brain cells change shape as a result of injury or illness.
Scortion plans to sell the Good Times application to corporate clients, but has not yet decided on the date of market entry. At the moment, he is looking for investors and completes the application. He added a feature that allows users to see a representation of their brain waves. By the time he enters the market, he says, the application will recognize levels of brain concentration at which users would like to block incoming phone calls. He says email filtering is the next logical step. “I think everyone will end up wearing such a gadget,” says Scorzioni, holding a cat-ear headset, “but, of course, it won’t look as stupid as this headset.”
Problem : Unwanted phone calls can be distracting at crucial moments.
Solution : Brainwave Headset and Call Filter Software
Funding : Top prize from AT & T Hackathon at $ 30,000.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/177365/
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