Innovations in technology affect entertainment and design, as you could equally argue that developments in entertainment or design have a similar impact on the others. Which is where TED comes in. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design and is a non-profit organization dedicated to ‘ideas worth spreading’

The latest of the TEDTalks videos to catch my attention was the innovation of a headset that reads your brainwaves, held by Tan Le from Emotiv Systems, a company who develop this technology surely destined to be the next generation of human-machine interface.

The brain is made up of billions of active neurons, when these neurons interact the chemical reaction emits an electrical impulse that can be measured.

Previously tracking the origin of these electrical impulses was particularly difficult because of the ridged shape of the surface of the brain, by the time the impulses reach the surface there was no way to track them as the surface of everyone’s brain is totally unique.

The breakthrough for this kind of technology came from the development of an algorithm that unfolds the cortex, allowing mapping of the signals across the mass population.

Once they had perfected the device it was a matter of finding the right applications to use it:

• In gaming this could be used to control a virtual avatar or controlling the world you are in, bringing an only dreamed about level of immersion.
• Controlling machines with your mind, with applications including those within your own home, taking control of the lighting and opening and closing curtains, as well as vehicles.
• The most impacting of the applications immediately is probably in controlling motorized wheelchairs for people with disabilities.

This is only the tip of the iceberg for technologies like this, with the possibilities being practically endless and the development of this technology as a norm will surely revolutionise the world in which we live.

To watch the full TEDTalks video follow the link here