A neurotechnology company has revealed that its new headphones can read your thoughts. The headphones, a brain-computer interface (BCI) from Neurable, based in Boston, look like a regular pair of advanced headphones, but the sensors in the system track your neurons like a portable electroencephalogram (EEG), monitoring the electrical impulses in your brain to learn how you look when you concentrate. According to a report by the British newspaper "Daily Mail," "the system can then disable notifications, play white noise for sound cancellation, or even suggest a break to recharge your mind."
Ramses Alcaide, the CEO of Neurable, said he was inspired by his uncle to design headphones that "read the mind," who created his own prosthetics after losing his legs in a car accident. Alcaide, who holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Michigan, said, according to the British paper, that "I became fascinated with how to leverage engineering to improve human mobility, and thus human independence."
Alcaide pointed out that "through this process, I realized that in order to address these fundamental issues, I needed to go directly to the source, which is the brain." He explained that "the sensors are made from fabric, meaning the headphones can be easily turned on and off," noting that "he works on the theory that humans typically have only two to three hours of high productivity each day, and the technology called Enten can suggest breaks, mute notifications, and increase sound cancellation to enhance your focus throughout the entire day." The companion app for the system uses machine learning algorithms to recognize when your mind is focused or distracted.
