Facebook Develop ‘Mind-Reading’ AR Wristband

Tech-giants leverage brainwaves for next-gen UX 

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FRL AR Wristband
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Published: March 19, 2021

John Woods XR Today

John Woods

Up until now, the ability to switch on television from the other side of the room just by thinking about it was a skill only Eleven from the Stranger Things franchise could master – but could that all be about to change? Facebook says yes!

According to a Facebook status update by Andrew Bosworth (Boz), Head of Facebook Reality Labs, the tech-giants acquired the neural-interface development company, CTRL Labs, back in 2019 as part of its ongoing strategy to develop “more natural, intuitive ways to interact with devices and technology.”

Over the last few years, FRL has been working on its vision to create a wristband that allows people to control their smart glasses or VR devices using neurons in their spinal cords that send electrical signals down to hand muscles.

Ordinarily, these neurons are the same thing our brains would trigger when we tell our hands to flick on a light switch or tap down on a mouse, only now they’ll be used to interact with objects remotely by way of smart glasses and an AR wristband.

Commenting on the device, Bosworth said: “[the] wristband will decode…signals and translate them into a digital signal your device can understand, empowering you with control over your digital life. It captures your intention so you can share a photo with a friend using an imperceptible movement or just by, well, intending to.”

“Technology like this has the potential to open up new creative possibilities and reimagine 19th-century inventions in a 21st-century world. This is how our interactions in VR and AR can one day look. It can change the way we connect”

While the world has been waiting with bated breath to see a glimpse of what FRL has been working on over the last three years, a Recent Facebook Tech Blog shone some much-needed light on the situation.

Along with more details on what Facebook hopes to achieve with its AR wristband in the future, we also saw a prototype design of the device itself: a blend between a smartwatch and an iPhone fixed at the wrist like a Star Trek Transporter.

During the video presentation, we see people toggling through invisible hand devices using their thumbs, unlocking padlocks by pinching their fingers, typing on invisible keyboards, flicking on the kettle, and even firing virtual arrows into digital targets – but that is only the beginning.

“Electromyography (EMG) uses sensors to translate electrical motor nerve signals that travel through the wrist to the hand into digital commands that you can use to control the functions of a device. EMG will eventually progress to richer controls. In AR, you’ll be able to actually touch and move virtual UIs and objects, as you can see in this demo video. You’ll also be able to control virtual objects at a distance. It’s sort of like having a superpower like the Force,” says Facebook

In the future, Facebook also aims to combine the technology with powerful AI that can make deep inferences about the type of information users will need in various contexts based on their surroundings and individual personalities.

As a result, Facebook states that using the device will feel effortless, allowing it to easily integrate into users’ daily life routines from all demographics and backgrounds.

While there doesn’t appear to be much discussion on how people can use this technology outside of the consumer space, it’s easy to understand the value mind-controlled AR could bring to the enterprise marketplace in the future.

Everything from protecting frontline workers in dangerous environments to allowing skilled surgeons to operate remotely from all corners of the world, mind-operated AR has endless potential to change the enterprise marketplace forever.

It’s a brave new world indeed, and XR Today will be here reporting on all the latest updates every step of the way, keeping your finger on the pulse!

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