Try and wrap this one around your noggin. Samsung is currently working with researchers at the University of Texas on a project involving EEG caps that harnesses the power of one’s mind to control tablets and smartphones, and if that weren’t enough, the company’s actually hoping to take it mainstream. Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s be clear: in its current stage, the system is cumbersome and aimed at those with disabilities, but Samsung’s already proven that it’s interested in alternative input methods, and this could certainly be the logical conclusion.

As is, participants are asked to wear EEG caps that measure the electrical activity along their scalp. Then, they’re able to make selections by focusing on an icon that flashes at a distinct frequency from others, which the system recognizes as a unique electrical pattern. Overall, the accuracy of the system is in the ballpark of 80 to 95 percent, and users are able to make selections on average of every five seconds. In order to make the system more approachable, the researchers hope to develop EEG hats that are more convenient and less intrusive — in other words, ones that people can wear throughout the day. We can’t promise this type of futuristic tech will come anytime soon, but for a closer peek, hit up the source link for a peek at Samsung’s next wild idea.

Filed under: Science, Samsung

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Via: BGR

Source: MIT Technology Review

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Samsung explores touchless tablet interaction with brainwave technology

Universities aren’t just places for students to cut classes and enjoy themselves before eventually embarking on careers. They are also places where problems get solved, like the one facing runners who find it hard to read on the jog. That bane is the focus of a group of researchers at Purdue University, who are working on a system called ReadingMate, which moves text on a display in reaction to the bobbing head of a runner to stabilize what’s being seen. The screen is sent information from a pair of infrared LED-equipped glasses, but it’s not as simple as shifting text in time with head movement — your eyes are performing corrections of their own, so the words dance slightly out of sync with your noggin to take this into account. It’s performed well in testing, and could have applications beyond the gym, such as in heavy machinery and aircraft, where vibration can hamper reading ability in important situations. Those uses make the most sense — we don’t often find ourselves eager to attack that next Twilight chapter during a near-death treadmill experience.

Filed under: Displays, Misc, Wearables, Software

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Via: Gizmag

Source: Purdue University

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Purdue University’s ReadingMate makes the classic reading-running combo a little easier

A certain demographic of home theater connoisseurs has fretted for a few weeks over talk that Panasonic might end plasma TV production and research — would viewers have to resort to anything so vulgar as… an LCD? No, Panasonic says. Despite earlier claims of frozen development, the company’s merchandising VP Henry Hauser is emphatic that there remains “room for further improvement” in the plasma realm, and that Panasonic fully intends to develop upgrades. The Viera ZT series we saw at CES will be a launchpad for future work, according to the executive. Hauser’s full statement awaits after the break if there are any lingering doubts; for now, it appears that Panasonic values plasma’s distinct qualities as much as the next basement movie maven.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Panasonic

Excerpted from:
Panasonic buries rumors of plasma TV’s death

Scientists working together from Japanese and American universities may have made a pretty large leap in restoring neural function for those with non-paralyzing spinal cord injuries. The researchers applied a “novel artificial neuron connection” over lesions in the spinal cord of a partially paralyzed monkey, partially restoring its arm / brain circuit and allowing greater hand control purely by brainpower. The team also created a reverse circuit where muscle activity from the arm stimulated the spinal cord, reinforcing the signals and “boosting ongoing activity in the muscle.” There’s no word on whether it would help those with full paralysis, though for lesser “paretic” damage, “this might even have a better chance of becoming a real prosthetic treatment rather than the sort of robotic devices that have been developed recently,” according to the team. See the source and More Coverage links for more.

Filed under: Science

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Source: National Institute for Physiological Sciences

Original post:
Research team restores monkey’s hand function with artificial neural connection

The latest seafaring robot from Liquid Robotics got an unveiling this morning. Dubbed the Wave Glider SV3, the mobile, amphibious robot is targeted at the (thoroughly unexciting) usual suspects: big oil, the government, and scientific researchers. Apparently those halcyon days of seeking out Guinness World Records are over. Compared with the previous SV2 model, the latest ship runs faster (2.5 knots top speed), carries more (100 pounds, compared to a paltry 40 in the previous ship), and lasts longer (an additional 40 percent of surface area on the deck allows for many more solar cells). All that extra oomph should allow Liquid Robotics’ customers to spend even more time plumbing the Earth’s waters for … well, whatever they’d like. And for the mock G.I. Joe battles that are assuredly taking place with the Wave Glider. Like, come on.

Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt

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Via: The New York Times

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Wave Glider sea robot gets a new version, replete with more power and gear