After 4 years of research, Facebook announced it would stop developing a brain-reading device

In a blog post on Wednesday, Facebook announced that the company would abandon plans to develop a brain-computer-communication device designed to translate brain signals into language.

Instead, Facebook will focus on developing a wrist-worn solution that can be used to control in a virtual reality environment.

Prototype of a headwear device developed by Facebook

“ We still believe in the long-term potential of brain reader technology, but we decided to focus our immediate resources on another direction that is easier to bring to market in a shorter time .”

The company has spent four years researching and developing the wearable, but hasn’t done much to close the gap to the prospect of a complete consumer device. As a result, we also understand that decoding complex brain signals into usable data is extremely difficult even if you have the capital of one of the largest companies in the world.

Mark Chevillet, a neuroscientist who worked on the project, explained Facebook’s decision: ” We have a lot of direct experience with these technologies. That’s why we can confidently say that consumer devices with brain-reading capabilities are still far away. It could be longer than we can predict .”

Optical module capable of measuring the amount of oxygen in the brain using light

Facebook hopes to make this device a revolutionary device for everyone – not just polio patients who are looking forward to robotic devices and computers that they can control with just their thoughts. seen in some recent tests.

“ We never wanted to create a product that required implant surgery, ” says Chevillet. However, there are many difficulties to realize the possibility of brain-computer communication without using an implant in the brain.

Preliminary studies funded by Facebook have shown promising results, allowing a person with seizures to type at a rate of 15 words per minute. While this is an impressive technological achievement, the technology is still far from achieving the goals the company aspires to, especially in terms of consumer friendliness.

Chetvillet said in an interview: “We can see great application potential in medical assistive technology, but that is not what we are aiming for. We aim for mass market applications, and the gap is still very far .”

With the participation of CTRL-Labs, which Facebook acquired in 2019, the company is now turning to developing a wearable device that can read signals from muscles allowing it to act as a control device. in virtual reality experience.

Let’s also wait and see if this project is successful or also abandoned?

According to Futurism