Ultrasound for Mind Reading

Canadian engineers have found a secondary use for ultrasound... as a mind reader!

Researchers at the University of Toronto have suggested that ultrasound devices can lead to a new type of brain-computer interface, which allow users of such a device to control other devices with just their thoughts alone.

Other approaches to BCI technology include EEG, fMRI, MEG, and NIRS. However, these approches are not without their drawbacks. EEG is easily susceptible to outside noise that can disturb the signals travelling between the brain and computer. Functional MRI and MEG are highly expensive and requires large equipment to use, impeding mobility. NIRS is a recent development to BCI technology and has a low data transmission rate thought this coud change in the future.

Ultrasound is already a proven and currently available technology that, now with these research results, allow a highly available technique to interface man and machine. The ultrasound headgear used by the researchers measured the blood flow in the brains of nine adults performing various tasks. Using this technique, the researchers predicted the actions of the subjects with a good amount of accuracy (see article for statistics). These early results prove ultrasound to be a promising technique for brain computer interfaces, and more work is still being done to improve the system.

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