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Baby steps. Controlling machines with your mind takes practice.
a thread on learning brain-computer interfaces.
a thread on learning brain-computer interfaces.
Do you remember the first time you used a keyboard?
How long did it take you to be great at it? Days, months, years?
How long did it take you to be great at it? Days, months, years?
As a kid, I remember practicing to type, hoping to increase my words per second. All of my friends were faster than me, and it took me an embarrassing amount of time to be decent at it.
For the longest, I could only use my index fingers, and you know how that looks.
For the longest, I could only use my index fingers, and you know how that looks.
I wanted to learn how to code, but how would I be good at it if I didn’t even type correctly?
I often wondered if I had what it took to produce enough code for me to get hired.
Now, imagine people who do not have the option to use a keyboard.
I often wondered if I had what it took to produce enough code for me to get hired.
Now, imagine people who do not have the option to use a keyboard.
Every movement is planned and executed in the motor cortex region of the brain. When you move your fingers to type, the motor cortex orchestrates every single movement.
If you feel you can type without thinking about it, it's because you've done it enough times for the neurons in the motor cortex to wire together.
So why not tap into the data from the motor cortex and skip the hand movements?
This is where Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) come in.
This is where Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) come in.
The average computer user clicks, presses, and taps over 10,000 times a day.
That's 3.5 million hand movements a year in order to interact with technology.
That's 3.5 million hand movements a year in order to interact with technology.
Think of what things you touch with your hands in order to operate them. E.g. microwaves, TVs, lamps, phones, elevators -- you get the idea.
Using thoughts to execute commands also has a learning curve.
So how can you start learning how to use brain-computer interfaces?
You train. Just like you did with the keyboard.
So how can you start learning how to use brain-computer interfaces?
You train. Just like you did with the keyboard.
At the beginning, it will be a hybrid model where you use your typing skills and wear a BCI to start chipping away at those 3.5 million hand movements a year.
Today, you can use a BCI to automate music selection and predict recommendations for you. No need to create playlists or "Like" a song. BCIs can use your brain activity to know what music you like.
You can use a BCI to to track your productivity.
As a software developer, I used to work long hours until the fatigue affected my code quality to a point where I was trashing part of my code the next day.
Now I know when to take a break because my productivity starts to drop.
As a software developer, I used to work long hours until the fatigue affected my code quality to a point where I was trashing part of my code the next day.
Now I know when to take a break because my productivity starts to drop.
This is a new era. It's time for computers to adapt for humans.
We need to be more inclusive. That starts with us designing user experiences that don't assume what body features we have available.
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We need to be more inclusive. That starts with us designing user experiences that don't assume what body features we have available.
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