Use Computer With Just Your Brain

There have been a lot of recent developments concerning brain-to-computer interfaces, mainly focused on two procedures: brain implants or sensor caps. Researchers at the Brain Computer Interface Group in the New York State Public Health Department took the route of the sensor cap and have achieved amazing results. The setup, from the Wired article here, is:

A caregiver uses a laptop to start up the system. An electrode-laden skull cap tracks brain activity with an EEG and relays it to an amplifier. Brain waves are then translated into computer activity. The patient has an additional screen to use for communication.

This means that an incapacitated patient wearing one of these caps can just move a mouse by thinking about moving his hand or write a word just by focusing on it.