The idea of being able to control objects using our mind seems like something out of a sci-fi/fantasy movie or story, but it’s actually not a far-fetched reality. In the past we have seen how using our brains, we can control devices like wheelchairs, which is why using our brain to control our TV doesn’t seem entirely out of the question.In fact during the Samsung Developer Conference, the company revealed that they are working on software that could potentially allow users to control their TVs using their brains. According to Samsung, work on such a project began about three months ago in partnership with the Center of Neuroprosthetics of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, with the idea being that this could allow those with certain disabilities to control their devices.
According to Ricardo Chavarriaga, a senior scientist at the EPFL who is also working on the project, “How can we provide accessibility to people who cannot move or who have extreme limitations on their movements. We’re making tech that is more complex, that is more intelligent, but we should not forget this tech is being made to interface with humans.”
Samsung isn’t alone in trying to leverage technology to help those with disabilities. During Netflix’s Hack Day, some Netflix engineers took advantage of the iPhone X’s TrueDepth camera to allow for eye navigation which could also come in handy for those who have accessibility issues.