The company Ambient has
demonstrated a motorized wheelchair that is controlled by subvocal
speech. The individual thinks of a particular word and a sensor collar
around the user's neck detects the electrical signals sent from his or
her brain to the larynx muscles. The computer then matches those signal
patterns to pre-programmed "words" used to control whatever apparatus
the system is attached to, in this case a wheelchair. The approach is
similar to the subvocal speech system recently demonstrated by NASA for
future spacesuit communication devices. Engineers Michael Callahan and
Thomas Coleman developed the Ambient technology at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From New Scientist:
Callahan
and Coleman say they can also be sent to a speech synthesizer, allowing
a paralyzed person to "speak" out loud. Recent refinements to the
algorithms used may make it possible to interpret whole sentences
thought out by the user. This could potentially restore near-normal
speech to people who have not spoken for years, the researchers say.
from BoingBoing.net
New Scientist article,
YouTube video
