Scientists On Path To Reading Your Mind With Brain Scans

Scientist at the University of California, Berkeley have made strides toward being able to read a human's mind. They Have successfully modeled how images are represented in the brain, and can now translate recorded patterns of a subjects neural activity into pictures of what the subject had seen.

The research could conceivably lead to dream-readers and thought-controlled computers according to a Wired article. "It's what you would actually use if you were going to build a functional brain-reading device," said Jack Gallant a neuroscientist working on the project.

Thought Driven Wheelchair Demonstrated

Researchers in Japan, backed by automaker Toyota, have demonstrated a thought driven wheelchair that is said to have achieved as much as 95% accuracy rates. According to this CBC article "The system measures electrical activity in the brain through five electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes placed above the areas of the brain that handle motor movement. The sensors interpret the signals they pick up and translate them into motion." The technology, still in the developmental stage, is hoped to be useful for rehabilitation and for support of people who use the vehicles. Japan has an aging population and as the result an active robotics industry, with much support and encouragement from the government which is facing a demographic shift.