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comfortable with sharing? But | think there is certainly scope in the future for a better level of understanding to be reached. Over the last few years in doing this research, we've come to realise that there are so many similarities across cultures, across genders, in terms of the way that we actually respond to human beings. It's definitely a very interesting observation to see that whilst there's so much individuality, there's still a lot of commonality in the way that we experience emotions, and so there's a lot to be said in terms of trying to find a common dialogue for everyone and a better understanding from that." system to assist astronauts in very noisy environments. However, Jorgensen is confident that in the not-too- distant future it will be used for a number of applications. "The technology would most likely be used for situations with high noise such as fire-fighters in pressurised gear, military environments when silent communication with small numbers of words are needed, or for specialised use by individuals with speech handicaps and limited communication capability. The obvious extension, given increased vocabulary, would be for a silent cellphone or in teleconferencing,” he suggested. Subvocal Speech System Military Interest in BCI Technologies The National Aeronautics and Space The United States Army is Administration (NASA) in the USA is 0 particularly interested in the also developing a new technology that Unlike the development of brain-to-computer mismone dey pres oumeetin | prain-computer | 2 Pointe bain terol: ane 1999, NASA scientists at the Ames interface, which projects that might one day be used Research Center began work ona : by military personnel. Researchers at "subvocal" speech program. Unlike requires a EEG cap the University of California, Carnegie the brain-computer interface, which or brain implant to Mellon University and the University reures an tt cpa Ser re interpret the brain's |, oon ove rcavel 2 gor activity, the subvocal speech system is electrical activity, that will enable dispersed ground able to decipher thought by forces to create email and voice mail connecting sensors to the speech the subvocal speech without the use of a keyboard or muscles. system is able to sound. The NASA team has found that by placing small sensors under the chin and on either side of the larynx, they can collect nerve signals from the movement of the tongue and vocal cords. To communicate, a person wearing the sensors only has to speak to himself or herself, without moving the mouth or making a sound. As the person silently Meanwhile, another US Army project is expected to take the technology one step further, and it could pave the way for the eventual development of mind- to-mind communication. In 2009, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) received USS4 million to start a brain-to-brain program called Silent Talk. decipher thought by connecting sensors to the speech muscles. speaks, the brain sends an According to US Defense electric current to the speech muscles, which is in turn Department documents: "Silent Talk will allow user-to- converted into text. user communication on the battlefield without the use Dr Charles Jorgensen, the Chief Scientist for of vocalized speech through the analysis of neural euroengineering at NASA, has described the subvoca signals. The brain generates word-specific signals prior speech system as a “voluntary” form of communication to sending electrical impulses to the vocal cords. These for users. signals of ‘intended speech’ will be analyzed and He explained in an interview:? "For me, telepathy _ translated into distinct words, allowing covert person-to- would imply the ability to obtain inner thoughts withou person communication. the clear permission of the user. Subvocal speech mus This program has three major goals: a) to attempt to by its nature be voluntary and only picks up words _ identify electroencephalography patterns unique to whose physiological commands to the articulators have _ individual words, b) [to] ensure that those patterns are already been sent to the tongue or larynx. This is one o generalizable across users in order to prevent extensive its desirable features, in my opinion, since it preserves _ device training, and c) [to] construct a fieldable pre- privacy." prototype that would decode the signal and transmit The NASA team initially developed the subvoca over a limited range." Unlike the brain—computer interface, which requires an EEG cap or brain implant to interpret the brain's electrical activity, the subvocal speech system is able to decipher thought by to the speech muscles. In NEXUS ¢ 37 connecting sensors FEBRUARY - MARCH 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com