Quote:
Tech startup Neurovigil announced last April that Stephen Hawking was testing the potential of its iBrain device to allow the astrophysicist to communicate through brainwaves alone.
The iBrain was devised as the first EEG headset to monitor brainwaves through a single-channel only (though it is no longer the only single-channel EEG on the market). It consists of a simple fabric headband that holds a tiny device containing a small electrode to the skull, and it weighs less than a pack of cigarettes.
Through the use of an algorithm formulated by Low, the iBrain reads brainwave activity and transmits it wirelessly back to a computer. As Dr. Low points out, the iBrain can collect data regardless of where a person is or what they are doing. For this reason it is a welcome alternative to the masses of electrodes and wires that hospitals and sleep labs generally use when assessing a patients brain activity.
Hawking was fitted with the head-band device and asked to “imagine that he was scrunching his right hand into a ball.” While he can’t actually move his hand, the motor cortex in his brain can still issue the command and generate electrical waves in his brain. The algorithm then translates these thoughts into signals, which show up on the monitor as spikes on a grid.
While much of the publicity that Neurovigil has gained has been due to its close work with Stephen Hawking, Dr Low is quick to point out that the technology has been developed for everybody.
Due to the portability of the device, hospitalization is no longer a requirement of the testing procedure. Patients can use the iBrain to record their brainwave patterns while going about everyday tasks. The data collected is analyzed by researchers, who conclude whether a drug is working effectively, while also monitoring for side effects. The U.S Military has also taken an interest in the device, hoping to monitor their soldiers for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain Injury.
The team at Neurovigil are currently hard at work on the iBrain 2, which Dr Low says will be even smaller, have better battery life, and can also monitor the subject’s heart rate. Low says that while the iBrain 2 is about 35 percent complete and plans are already underway for the iBrain 3, which is set to be Neurovigil’s first device sold directly to the public. Low says that the iBrain’s third incarnation will also feature an electrocardiogram (EKG) and be capable of connecting wirelessly through iPhones and Android phones. The estimated cost of the iBrain 3 is around US$100.
The iBrain was devised as the first EEG headset to monitor brainwaves through a single-channel only (though it is no longer the only single-channel EEG on the market). It consists of a simple fabric headband that holds a tiny device containing a small electrode to the skull, and it weighs less than a pack of cigarettes.
Through the use of an algorithm formulated by Low, the iBrain reads brainwave activity and transmits it wirelessly back to a computer. As Dr. Low points out, the iBrain can collect data regardless of where a person is or what they are doing. For this reason it is a welcome alternative to the masses of electrodes and wires that hospitals and sleep labs generally use when assessing a patients brain activity.
Hawking was fitted with the head-band device and asked to “imagine that he was scrunching his right hand into a ball.” While he can’t actually move his hand, the motor cortex in his brain can still issue the command and generate electrical waves in his brain. The algorithm then translates these thoughts into signals, which show up on the monitor as spikes on a grid.
While much of the publicity that Neurovigil has gained has been due to its close work with Stephen Hawking, Dr Low is quick to point out that the technology has been developed for everybody.
Due to the portability of the device, hospitalization is no longer a requirement of the testing procedure. Patients can use the iBrain to record their brainwave patterns while going about everyday tasks. The data collected is analyzed by researchers, who conclude whether a drug is working effectively, while also monitoring for side effects. The U.S Military has also taken an interest in the device, hoping to monitor their soldiers for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain Injury.
The team at Neurovigil are currently hard at work on the iBrain 2, which Dr Low says will be even smaller, have better battery life, and can also monitor the subject’s heart rate. Low says that while the iBrain 2 is about 35 percent complete and plans are already underway for the iBrain 3, which is set to be Neurovigil’s first device sold directly to the public. Low says that the iBrain’s third incarnation will also feature an electrocardiogram (EKG) and be capable of connecting wirelessly through iPhones and Android phones. The estimated cost of the iBrain 3 is around US$100.
Source
Edited by tahayassen - 7/5/12 at 4:32pm
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