High-tech to allow humans to operate machinery with thoughts

A form of technology only seen in science-fiction movies could potentially be making the jump to real life.

This time, researchers are focusing on a technology called “BMI,” which stands for “brain machine interface,” according to the Korea Defense Daily. Simply put, it allows a user to control a machine with their thoughts ― no physical activity required.

BMI technology can be divided into two distinct fields: invasive and non-invasive. Invasive BMIs, which are implanted directly into the grey matter of the human brain, can transmit the strongest signals but at risk are side-effects such as scar tissue buildup. On the other hand, non-invasive BMI’s utilize machinery outside the human body, which eliminates risks but also significantly lowers the signal quality.

There has already been limited implementation of BMI technology in the real world. In 1999, German researchers successfully allowed a paralyzed person to type by encircling a receiver around his head and hooking it up to a machine. The non-invasive BMI machine received brain waves from the subject’s head and typed it out ― at a whopping two letters per minute.

By 2009, BMI research had considerably advanced to the point where humans could control a humanoid robot, “Asimo,” to perform simple tasks by thinking about the action. The brain waves were picked up by a helmet-like device and transmitted to the droid.

In the U.S., the University of Illinois is performing research that might change the course of history: aircraft piloted by brain waves from the ground.

By 2020, BMI experts predict that warplanes will no longer need pilots. Instead, commands will be transmitted into the air by pilots simply thinking about the action from the ground.

Although electronic science is a fluidly changing field, research institutions around the world have agreed upon one thing: in the future, BMI will be an expanding area of study filled with more and more possibilities.