Okay, so it’s not quite telepathy, but it’s certainly a step closer.
A neckband that translates thought into speech by picking up nerve signals has been used to demonstrate a “voiceless” phone call for the first time.
With careful training a person can send nerve signals to their vocal cords without making a sound. These signals are picked up by the neckband and relayed wirelessly to a computer that converts them into words spoken by a computerised voice.
A video shows the system being used to place the first public voiceless phone call on stage at a recent conference held by microchip manufacturer Texas Instruments. Michael Callahan, co-founder of Ambient Corporation, which developed the neckband, demonstrates the device, called the Audeo.
Users needn’t worry about that the system voicing their inner thoughts though. Callahan says producing signals for the Audeo to decipher requires “a level above thinking”. Users must think specifically about voicing words for them to be picked up by the equipment.
It’s impractically slow right now, and the synth voice sucks, but imagine the possibilities. With voice(less) dialing and a wireless earpiece, virtual telepathy could be two phone accessories away.
Tags: Ambient, Audeo, Hardware, Michael Callahan, MobileShare This
