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Move Objects With Your Mind? We're Getting There, With The Help Of An Armband

NPR

By Elise Hu

Published July 16, 2019 at 4:06 AM CDT

Don't see the video? Click here.

In the latest episode of Future You, check out an armband that lets you control tech devices with your mind. This is not a brain implant or even a headset. It's an armband that reads neuron activity to let you move objects in digital space. Then it goes further, giving you mental control of physical robots too. Think "the Force" from Star Wars.

Could this fundamentally change the way we interact with our devices? The scientists and engineers behind it say that if this kind of intention-powered technology takes off, clunky keyboards and tiny smartphone screen buttons will be a thing of the past. Instead of controlling our tech with voice or touch, we'd control it with our thoughts.

This season of Future You is dedicated to the human body and what capabilities we will have in the coming decades. You can find the latest episodes on YouTube or at npr.org/futureyou. And send us your ideas about upgrading humans: Email us at futureyou@npr.org, or contact us through Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Elise Hu

Elise Hu is a host-at-large based at NPR West in Culver City, Calif. Previously, she explored the future with her video series, Future You with Elise Hu, and served as the founding bureau chief and International Correspondent for NPR's Seoul office. She was based in Seoul for nearly four years, responsible for the network's coverage of both Koreas and Japan, and filed from a dozen countries across Asia.

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