Meta unveils mind-reading wristband that lets you control devices without touching them

India Today

3 days ago

Ever imagined a time when you'd be able to open an app or type a message, not by tapping on the screen or clicking the mouse, but instead by just thinking about it? Sounds like a sci-fi movie? Well, that's exactly what Meta's latest experimental technology is working towards. According to a report by The New York Times via research detailed in Nature (a well-known scientific journal), Meta has developed a wristband that can pick up electrical signals from your muscles and use them to control computers, smartphones, and other devices. The interesting bit — you don't even have to physically move. The wristband can understand your intention to move, and that's enough to trigger a response on screen. Of course, the device is still in development, but Meta says it could be ready for the market in the next few years.advertisementThis wristband is designed by researchers at Meta's Reality Labs and works using a technique called electromyography (EMG). It reads electrical signals that travel from the brain to the muscles, especially in the forearm. When you think about moving a finger or wrist, your brain sends signals, and this device catches those signals before your muscles even react. 'You don't have to actually move,' said Thomas Reardon, Meta's VP of research, in an interview. 'You just have to intend the move.'The technology relies on AI to make sense of these muscle signals. Meta gathered data from about 10,000 people wearing the wristband prototype. Using machine learning, the team trained the system to recognise patterns linked to specific movements. That means even a new user could strap on the band and start using it without needing to teach it from scratch. 'Out of the box, it can work with a new user it has never seen data for,' said Patrick Kaifosh, one of the scientists leading the project.
The main difference between this and brain-implant tech like Neuralink is that Meta's wristband is non-invasive. You don't need surgery — you just wear it like a smartwatch. That makes it safer and easier to use for the general public, as well as for people with mobility issues. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon are already testing it with people who have spinal cord injuries, helping them interact with computers despite limited hand function. 'We can see their intention to type,' said Douglas Weber, professor at Carnegie Mellon.As mentioned at the start, the idea of reading your thoughts might sound a bit sci-fi, but the team behind the wristband is clear — it's not actually reading your mind. 'It feels like the device is reading your mind, but it is not. It is just translating your intention. It sees what you are about to do,' Reardon said.So far, the prototype has shown that users can control a mouse, type words, and even write letters in the air that appear on a screen — all by making small finger gestures or simply intending them. With practice, people can even activate individual muscle fibres without any visible movement at all.- Ends