US National Science Foundation awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop mind-reading technology
It’s the stuff of science fiction: the ability to communicate with someone else simply by thinking – no speaking or physical gesture. For fans of Star Trek, this is known as the “Vulcan mind meld”, wherein Captain Spock is able to communicate with someone else telepathically.
For Chang Soo “CS” Nam, chair of the Northern Illinois University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, it’s brain to brain interface (BBI or B2BI). Nam is the principal investigator on a $600,000 research grant from the US National Science Foundation to explore this relatively new realm of science and technology.
Over the next three years, in collaboration with Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, the co-principal investigator at North Carolina State University, Nam will guide this ambitious pursuit.
Joining them will be a team of undergraduate and graduate research assistants, research collaborators and industry partners.
Eventually, he aims to collaborate with other researchers within NIU, including his peers in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, as well as others in psychology, health science, computer science and the University Honors Program.
“Humans have conquered so many challenges over the course of history, and one of the last big frontiers is this essential part of us called the brain,” Nam said.
“This project will also have a really important educational impact on students as they gain research experience.”
Here’s a general overview of how the research will work:
Using advanced brain imaging technology such as electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), one part of the system (called BCI or brain-computer interface) reads brain activity such as when someone imagines moving their hand.
Then, another part of the system (CBI or computer-brain interface) using brain stimulation technology sends that information to another person’s brain using special techniques, like focused energy waves.
This lets the second person’s brain process the information directly, without needing words, sounds or gestures.
Since 2013, scientists have shown this works in animals and people, but there’s still a lot to figure out. For example, current methods rely on computers to “translate” brain signals, instead of letting brains talk to each other directly.
This project’s primary goal is to create a system where brains can send and receive information in both directions.
This research could lead to important breakthroughs, like helping doctors communicate with patients who can’t speak or move, helping people recover after a stroke, or even creating new ways for healthy people to share ideas quickly.
The project will also test a technology called tFUS (transcranial focused ultrasound) that uses safe sound waves to stimulate the brain. By combining tFUS with brain-reading tools like EEG, scientists hope to create the first system that lets two brains talk directly in both directions.
“This could become a completely new way for people to connect and communicate,” Nam said. “Our research goal is to develop a two-way B2BI, which if it’s successfully developed would make it the first system in the world. Currently there is only one-way B2BI.”
