Managing the "power of thought": a resident accelerator at ITMO University
The TuSion project, a resident of the Future Technologies ITMO accelerator, develops a software algorithm that allows users to better recognize their own desires and emotions, track consumer behavior, or customize smart home gadgets through a neural interface and its associated application. How it works, we will tell below.
Flickr / MattysFlicks / CC
In the most general sense, a neural interface is a system that allows reading the activity of the brain. In the future, neural interfaces are promised a wide distribution - both futurologists and developers already foresee a wide distribution of devices that react not to our words or actions, but to desires and mental commands.
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Now neural interfaces are developed primarily for virtual reality projects - the term full dive VR is sometimes used to designate them. For example, the MindMaze project, which works according to the neural interface plus software scheme, announces the creation of a virtual reality neural platform.
Initially, the project was developed in the medical industry as an aid in the rehabilitation of patients with brain injuries. However, now MindMaze features are actively used in the field of VR - the neural interface analyzes brain signals and can predict human emotions for moments before they occur: such a clear recognition and display of human emotions can give additional expressiveness and realism to avatars in games and applications.
As for the development of the TuSion project, it is being prepared for use for a variety of purposes - the creators of the company believe that the development potential can be revealed both in the field of virtual reality and, for example, in the field of “smart home”. Vladimir Kublashvili, one of the founders of the project, notes: "If the brain controls virtual reality without any external manipulators, then this may be even more natural for a person [compared to joysticks and other additional gadgets]."
A neural interface that can be used for this purpose should be a wearable device that registers not only the electrical activity of the brain, but also the physical signs of emotions, eye movements - including to tell the owner something interesting about him. For example, to predict which objects are likely to be liked by the user, based on his previous - sometimes imperceptible and even unconscious - reactions.
In order to “bind” the neural interface to the brain, you need a special application for reading and transmitting signals. TuSion has developed this - it reads the electrical activity of the brain and records the level of concentration or, on the contrary, relaxation in accordance with the indications of an electroencephalogram.
This process is in the application visualized. On the hackathon of intelligent systems and neurotechnologies of virtual reality, which was held in St. Petersburg last year, the project team, using the Muse and NeuroSky neural interfaces, introduced an application that allowed manipulating art objects on the mobile device screen due to the "thought stress". Objects on the screen became brighter or paler depending on the level of concentration of the user.
Now the project team is engaged in obtaining additional statistics of user interaction with the neural interface and conducts early tests on volunteers at the Institute of Human Brain. N.P. Bechtereva. Such studies, according to Vladimir, help to “build bridges between the human brain and the neurointerface” - including for the creation of medical research.
By the way, research related to the use of neural interfaces in medicine has been conducted for a long time - and in this case, not always neuro-interface is understood as a light wearable gadget: a lot depends on what technology is used to read brain performance data. For example, wearable gadgets used in the TuSion project usually collect electroencephalogram data. And neural interfaces designed to rehabilitate patients after serious injuries may look much more cumbersome and use magnetic encephalography (or functional magnetic resonance imaging) technology.
There are few projects in Russia working in the field of neurotechnologies, including because this is a relatively new direction. “There are still too many unknowns in this market: there are questions of medical restrictions on the use of neurotechnologies, startups do not understand where their technology will go, what market they will enter, with whom to work, what it will look like. We will try to correct this situation, ”comments Ekaterina Yeshina, Director of the Center for Project Management and Promotion at ITMO University, commenting on the situation.
For this purpose, ITMO University launched a new undergraduate program “Neurotechnology and Programming” at the Department of Computer Educational Technologies (the department also has a close-to-the-master program - “Modeling cognitive processes in neuroinformation systems”).
This area of ​​training aims to expand the capabilities and interests of future graduates compared to “ordinary” programmers: “It is necessary for students to see and understand that their skills are used not only in“ pure ”programming, that there are projects that arise at the interface of programming and, for example, physiology, ”says Ekaterina Yogoshina.
PS Reading: ITMO University begins training IT specialists in the field of neurotechnology .
PS Already this Wednesday (May 24, 2017) in the American Rapid City will take place the final of the World Championship on Sports Programming ACM ICPC 2017 (ITMO University is one of the leaders of the championship). Watch the live broadcast of the championship and support our team!
Flickr / MattysFlicks / CCHow the neural interface works
In the most general sense, a neural interface is a system that allows reading the activity of the brain. In the future, neural interfaces are promised a wide distribution - both futurologists and developers already foresee a wide distribution of devices that react not to our words or actions, but to desires and mental commands.
')
Now neural interfaces are developed primarily for virtual reality projects - the term full dive VR is sometimes used to designate them. For example, the MindMaze project, which works according to the neural interface plus software scheme, announces the creation of a virtual reality neural platform.
Initially, the project was developed in the medical industry as an aid in the rehabilitation of patients with brain injuries. However, now MindMaze features are actively used in the field of VR - the neural interface analyzes brain signals and can predict human emotions for moments before they occur: such a clear recognition and display of human emotions can give additional expressiveness and realism to avatars in games and applications.
As for the development of the TuSion project, it is being prepared for use for a variety of purposes - the creators of the company believe that the development potential can be revealed both in the field of virtual reality and, for example, in the field of “smart home”. Vladimir Kublashvili, one of the founders of the project, notes: "If the brain controls virtual reality without any external manipulators, then this may be even more natural for a person [compared to joysticks and other additional gadgets]."
A neural interface that can be used for this purpose should be a wearable device that registers not only the electrical activity of the brain, but also the physical signs of emotions, eye movements - including to tell the owner something interesting about him. For example, to predict which objects are likely to be liked by the user, based on his previous - sometimes imperceptible and even unconscious - reactions.
Why does a neural interface need an application?
In order to “bind” the neural interface to the brain, you need a special application for reading and transmitting signals. TuSion has developed this - it reads the electrical activity of the brain and records the level of concentration or, on the contrary, relaxation in accordance with the indications of an electroencephalogram.
This process is in the application visualized. On the hackathon of intelligent systems and neurotechnologies of virtual reality, which was held in St. Petersburg last year, the project team, using the Muse and NeuroSky neural interfaces, introduced an application that allowed manipulating art objects on the mobile device screen due to the "thought stress". Objects on the screen became brighter or paler depending on the level of concentration of the user.
Now the project team is engaged in obtaining additional statistics of user interaction with the neural interface and conducts early tests on volunteers at the Institute of Human Brain. N.P. Bechtereva. Such studies, according to Vladimir, help to “build bridges between the human brain and the neurointerface” - including for the creation of medical research.
By the way, research related to the use of neural interfaces in medicine has been conducted for a long time - and in this case, not always neuro-interface is understood as a light wearable gadget: a lot depends on what technology is used to read brain performance data. For example, wearable gadgets used in the TuSion project usually collect electroencephalogram data. And neural interfaces designed to rehabilitate patients after serious injuries may look much more cumbersome and use magnetic encephalography (or functional magnetic resonance imaging) technology.
There are few projects in Russia working in the field of neurotechnologies, including because this is a relatively new direction. “There are still too many unknowns in this market: there are questions of medical restrictions on the use of neurotechnologies, startups do not understand where their technology will go, what market they will enter, with whom to work, what it will look like. We will try to correct this situation, ”comments Ekaterina Yeshina, Director of the Center for Project Management and Promotion at ITMO University, commenting on the situation.
For this purpose, ITMO University launched a new undergraduate program “Neurotechnology and Programming” at the Department of Computer Educational Technologies (the department also has a close-to-the-master program - “Modeling cognitive processes in neuroinformation systems”).
This area of ​​training aims to expand the capabilities and interests of future graduates compared to “ordinary” programmers: “It is necessary for students to see and understand that their skills are used not only in“ pure ”programming, that there are projects that arise at the interface of programming and, for example, physiology, ”says Ekaterina Yogoshina.
PS Reading: ITMO University begins training IT specialists in the field of neurotechnology .
PS Already this Wednesday (May 24, 2017) in the American Rapid City will take place the final of the World Championship on Sports Programming ACM ICPC 2017 (ITMO University is one of the leaders of the championship). Watch the live broadcast of the championship and support our team!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/327106/
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