Users interact with machines, AI assistants, and others by internally voicing words to the device, whose initial version was introduced in 2018.
Arnav Kapur, a native of Delhi, and presently a student at MIT, has created AlterEgo, a tool enabling users to communicate with computers and people without using speech or body movements. He is currently pursuing his PhD at MIT, focusing on Media Arts and Science within the MIT Media Lab.
Kapur has designed ‘AlterEgo,’ an AI-powered, mind-reading headset. Let’s comprehend its functionality.
As per MIT, “AlterEgo is a non-invasive, wearable, peripheral neural interface, enabling humans to have natural language conversations with machines, AI assistants, services, and other people. This is achieved internally, without speaking or any observable external movements, simply by internally articulating words.”
Users can interact with machines, AI assistants, and others by internally voicing words to the device, whose initial version was introduced in 2018.
Arnav Kapur, a student in MIT’s Media Lab, has developed a system to surf the internet with his mind. He silently Googled our questions and heard the answers through vibrations transmitted through his skull and into his inner ear. pic.twitter.com/aN76Jn4AHv
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 22, 2018
Using bone conduction for transmitting and receiving information ensures complete internal and private communication. After donning the gadget, one can order a pizza or a subway ride without verbal communication.
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How does it Operate?
In a viral video on social media, Arnav Kapur is seen wearing the device and answering questions without uttering a word. The interviewer exclaims, “You have the entire internet in your head.”
When a user’s internal speech articulation is active, the system records peripheral neural signals for communication. This allows the user to exchange information with a computer or person without any visible action.
MIT emphasizes that the primary aim of this initiative is to assist individuals with speech impairments, such as ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and MS (multiple sclerosis), among other illnesses.
Furthermore, according to the institute, it has the potential to enhance intellect and capabilities while seamlessly integrating computing into people’s daily lives as their “second self” (thus the term AlterEgo).
