Software and hardware companies are taking a “hands off” approach to operating a computer, allowing people with mobility problems to use computers more easily.
One company is Jedi Mind Inc., a software firm out of Cardiff by the Sea, Calif. It offers a mind controlled mouse appropriately called Jedi Mouse.
The application uses advanced electroencephalography (EEG) technology, which is the recording of electrical activity via electrodes on the scalp.
The EEG technology is developed on a headset by Emotiv. Fourteen different sensors pick up electrical impulses. Jedi Mind desinged the software programming, which uses bluetooth to send your brain’s signals to a receiver and create actions based on what you’re thinking.
“Jedi Mouse can run your computer, open up dialog boxes, close them, type up an email all with the power of your mind,” said Brent Fouch, chief executive officer of Jedi Mind.
While mind control technology is not exactly new, using it for medical purposes is a relatively recent development. Most companies in the budding mind controlling software industry, including Jedi Mind, had previously used it strictly for gaming purposes. However, Fouch said the company began to see its practical use in healthcare.
“It’s a huge market,” Fouch said. “These kind of medical applications can make people’s lives a lot easier. We’re talking people with ALS, stroke victims, quadriplegics or just anyone with limited use of their arms and legs.”
Fouch says for someone with limited use of their hands who typically uses a stick in his or her mouth to type, Jedi Mind’s system creates a way to operate a computer more efficiently.
The market for mind controlled software extends beyond allowing operating computers. “You can put the headset on and think and move wheelchairs,” Fouch said. “Any device with a receiver, you can use the technology to control it with your mind. For instance, if you have an elderly woman that cannot close drapes. You can use the software to put a device on the drapes with the receiver and allow her to close them by thought.”
In September, the company will roll out a national promotion to expand the Jedi Mouse’s reach. To get the company’s medical efforts kick-started, Fouch said the company has met with doctors with plans of implementation in hospitals and clinics. Also, Fouch said there are several doctors on the company’s advisory board who test the technology daily.
The other major use for Jedi Mind’s technology is gaming. Fouch said the company’s Master Mind product allows users to play popular games such as World of Warcraft through mind control. Like with the Jedi Mouse, users need the Emotiv headset for this one.
With its national promotion set to take off, Jedi Mind may have to do it under a different alias. LucasFilm sued the company for trademark infringement. While LucasFilm does not have the trademark to “Jedi Mind,” it does own the rights to “Jedi” and all characteristics associated with Jedi Knight characters in the Star Wars movies. Fouch declined to comment on the suit.
While Jedi Mind uses thought to control actions on a computer, Firesay has taken the verbal approach. The small software developer has created a voice command application for Mozilla Firefox that allows you to control your browser with speech.
“The application can receive audio, analyze it and transcribe what you said. The text output, which comes in the form of positive commands, is what we issue to the browser,” said Ehud Halberstam, Co-Founder of Firesay. He calls the technology “command and control,” and says it is built into Windows 7 and Windows Vista operating systems. “You need one of those, but there could be others in the future.”
While not exactly new, the browser voice command technology is still developing. Halberstam said Firesay was not created with full functionality. Rather, he and the other developers made it with intuitiveness in mind.
“If you say ‘Go to Facebook,’ it will go to Facebook. However, we do have limitations. You can’t say the exact web address and expect it to go. But if you say, ‘Url bar, www.facebook.com, then it will go to Facebook.’ It works the same,” Halberstam said. “It’s a natural and effective solution.”
Source:http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/47024/20100828/jedi-mind-lucasfilm-emotiv-mind-control-voice-control-firefox.htm
