Facebook set to acquire Brain Computing Technology for more than $500 million

Brain computing is a form of technology that allows you to control computers or computing tasks with a thought. Specifically with an electronic wristband that allows individuals to share photos on social platforms and perform different acts on their computer devices.

Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth stated in his announcement regarding this deal that,

The vision for this work is a wristband that lets people control their devices as a natural extension of movement.

This deal is an important milestone set by Facebook in its ambition to develop brain computing technology. This technology has been silent for almost 3 years since its teaser at a developer conference, but Facebook has not given up on the wristband prototype or the entire concept even though the social network company faces scrutiny from regulators, enforcers and consumers.

Among others, Facebook is a well-funded organisation that’s looking for ways to create sci-fi products using a brain computing interface.

Elon Musk’s brain-machine interface, Neuralink will also be ready for human trials in 2020. His goal is to begin implanting devices in paralyzed humans, enabling them to control electrical devices like phones or computers.

The considered pioneer CTRL-labs raised $67 million from Google investing arm GV, Lux Capital and Alexa Fund of Amazon. CTRL-labs describes its product as a “non-invasive neural interface platform”.

Facebook will welcome CTRL-labs at the Reality Labs group that’s currently developing augmented reality glasses. CTRL-labs could prove useful when it comes to Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality applications.

The wristband will receive decoded signals from the neurons in a person’s spinal cord, transferring those signals to the body’s muscles which translate to the body how to move. According to Bosworth,

Those signals will be translated into digital signals that electronic devices can understand. The wristband captures your intention so you can share a photo with a friend using an imperceptible movement or just by, well, intending to.

The wristband is still under research and development and is still a few years away from being available to consumers.

Image Source by wired.com