See thoughts
Scientists from the International Research Institute of Fundamental Technology of Electricity and Communications (Japan) have for the first time developed a way to read images that arise in the brain, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Japanese media.
The people who participated in the experiment were shown a black-and-white image of geometric shapes and words. Then the information obtained by scanning the activity of the brain department that is responsible for vision was analyzed by a computer and displayed the resulting image on the screen.
Six people took part in the experiment. The image of the images appearing in the brain coincided with the picture appearing on the screen in all six cases.
To date, with the help of new technology, it is possible to read so far only a black-and—white image of the simplest pictures — crosses, squares and short words written in Latin - for example, the word neuron — neuron was read.
"We expect that with the help of the technology we have developed, we will be able in the near future to "read" and display human dreams or images that arise in the brain of people who, due to various diseases, for example, paralysis, cannot transmit information using speech or writing," said the head of the scientific group Yuki Kamiya.
Such technology can become a truly world-wide discovery, which will make it possible to see the complex visual and associative processes taking place in the human brain.
Earlier it was reported that the US Army signed a contract with a group of scientists from the Universities of California, Maryland and Carnegie Mellon to develop a neurohelmet capable of reading brain impulses and transmitting them in the form of speech messages to other servicemen. In the longer term, based on such technologies, it is planned to create weapon control systems using the power of thought.
The signed contract is for five years. Its cost is $4 million. At the first stage of the project, it is planned to create hardware for reading nerve impulses accompanying human mental activity, as well as software capable of transforming such impulses into speech messages.
The development of new technologies, which until recently seemed like science fiction, became possible thanks to the rapid development of computer technology and significant advances in the study of the brain.