"Mental Typewriter" Controlled by Thought

A "mental typewriter" has been shown at the CeBit Electronics Fair in Germany. The device uses the Berlin Brain-Computer Interface (BCCI) to allow the user to type words on a computer by the poer of thought alone.

The user wears a cap containing 128 electrodes that scan brain activity and determine which letter they wish to type. It's like a sophisticated form of biofeedback. The user first "trains" the software as they mentally attempt to move a cursor around the screen to select the desired letter.

The device works but is currently impractical - it takes about an hour to apply all the electrodes and a sentence can take up to 10 minutes to type. However in principle this could lead to mind-controlled devices ranging from assisting patients with the control of artificial limbs through to applications such as video game controllers.