I think it’s highly likely, inevitable really, that we’ll be able to hook our brains up to computers in the near future, allowing us to connect directly to the Internet just by thinking about it. The idea may have come from the fictional Neural Lace but there are several real projects underway to make this dream a reality. Facebook’s attempt to let people type with their thoughts, Elon Musk’s Neuralink, and Bryan Johnson’s Kernel to name a few.
However, the drawback with this technology is how invasive it would be. After all, it’s hard to connect your brain to the Internet wirelessly. It’s the kind of thing that you’d need hardware to pull off. And the idea of drilling a hole into my skull to implant a computer chip doesn’t sound all that appealing. Thankfully, we may soon have another option. A non-invasive way of approaching the problem.
The technology is known as CTRL-Kit and it comes to us from a company called CTRL-Labs. The idea is that just by wearing a simple wristband you’ll be able to interact with various apps using only your thoughts. For instance, imagine being able to walk around a virtual reality environment while lying on your couch. Instead of actually walking around your living room in circles like you’d have to do today you can just sit still and just imagine yourself walking.
As the Verge describes, “CTRL-Labs’ work is built on a technology known as differential electromyography, or EMG. The band’s inside is lined with electrodes, and while they’re touching my skin, they measure electrical pulses along the neurons in my arm. These super-long cells are transmitting orders from my brain to my muscles, so they’re signaling my intentions before I’ve moved or even when I don’t move at all.”
In other words, why cut out the middle man when you can just piggyback on their signal instead. By using the neurons in our arms, instead of the ones in our brains, we’ll be able to achieve the same results with less risk. It’s a clever hack and one that could ultimately be responsible for the technology going mainstream. Which, I for one, hope happens sooner rather than later. Because quite frankly, there are few things in life cooler than being able to control things with your mind.
Is CTRL-Kit the Greatest Idea Ever?