Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) has revealed more details to project investigators to develop an original neural bracelet that can be used to control an augmented reality.
The company says in a post that the bracelet will have a built-in computer, batteries, antennas and sensors capable of reading electrical signals from the brain through the wrist to the hand, which can then be translated into "intuitive" digital commands for control. of the functions of an AR device.
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The prototype is based on a technology developed by CTRL-Labs, a startup bought by Facebook in 2019.
"What we're trying to do with neural interfaces is allow you to directly control the machine"using the output of the peripheral nervous system - especially the nerves outside the brain that move the muscles of your hands and fingers," says Thomas Reardon, director of FRL Neuromotor Interfaces.
The company however he says that the bracelet will not be able to read your mind.
“Think of it this way: you shoot a lot photos and you choose to share only some of them. Similarly, you have many thoughts and choose to act on only some of them. When this happens, your brain sends signals to your hands and fingers. It tells them to move in certain ways to perform actions like typing and searching. The technology is about decoding these signals on the wrist – the actions you've already decided to perform – and translating them into digital commands for your device,” the company says.
Initially the bracelet will be deployed to read click gestures - to control some simple functions such as pushing a button.
However, there are plans to insert tactile power into the bracelet, so that users can "feel" the movements that appear (take place) in the VR interface, that is, to feel through the virtual movements.
Eventually, Facebook wants to develop the bracelet as a controller that will be able to touch and move VR objects or type on a virtual keyboard at high speed.
The portable wrist device will be able to sync with other VR devices on which Facebook works, such as smart glasses.
