How long until keyboards/mice are obsolete?

[bascule]

This story was linked on Digg yesterday:

 

'Mind over matter' no longer science fiction

 

It's yet another passive device allowing you to "type" with your brain. That alone is somewhat unremarkable, until you consider how many similar stories we've seen in 2006 alone. Here's a smattering of links to similar stories dealing with active/passive wetware applications to peruse through, if you so desire. All of these are from 2006:

 

Big Brain Thinking: Stanford neuroscientist Bill Newsome wants to implant an electrode in his brain to better understand human consciousness

 

Stealth sharks to patrol the high seas

 

Jesse Sullivan powers robotic arms with his mind

 

European boffins connect neurons to silicon chips

 

"Mental typewriter" controlled by thought alone

 

Now That's Using Your Brain

 

I think it's becoming clear that brain/computer interfaces are moving from the realm of science fiction into reality.

 

I'm especially excited by the passive systems which allow you to "type" or control a "mouse pointer". It seems like where voice recognition has failed, passive brain scanning may succeed. These systems map an impulse towards a mechanical action to data appearing within your computer. They require a bit of training, but certainly less than it takes to learn how to use a keyboard.

 

The best part of these systems is: they can easily be turned into marketable products. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in the world who suffer some debilitating disease, amputation, or spinal injuries which make it impossible for them to type and must resort to more arcane interfaces to computers.

 

These people will make great early adopters for these devices. Being able to interface with a computer in an equivalent manner (or faster) than everyone else can with a keyboard and mouse will be an enormous boon to their quality of life, and something you can expect a large number of them will be willing to pay for.

 

Once this starts happening and these devices are turned into a marketable product, commoditization can't be that far off. Presently they look uncomfortable, but we can certainly expect these devices to get smaller and less obtrusive.

 

When do you think brain/computer interfaces will replace the keyboard and mouse?

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The keyboard-emulating interface takes about 15 seconds to get one letter through, so I wouldn't be praising it so highly quite yet. They've got a few more years before they're practical enough.

[ecoli]

they're not ready yet, but I don't expect to waiting too long.

 

I <3 the singularity

[Nevermore]

Sure, we have the technology, but this definitly won't catch on for at least another 7 or so years.

[the tree]

I like my keyboard. As far as I can tell, the only people this technology is even meant to appeal to is those who for whatever reason can't use their hands to type.

[YT2095]

I don`t think it ever Will "take over" in all honesty, it`ll just be an as-well-as option.

same way Mobile fones didn`t take over the landline, or TV take over radio.

besides, we Like pressing bottons

[Klaynos]

I wouldn't even say we have the technology, we have the founding bassis for the technology...

 

IIRC from a TV prog I watched, it all needs to be calibrated for an individule that can take considerable time...

[Gaz]

IIRC from a TV prog I watched, it all needs to be calibrated for an individule that can take considerable time...

 

If this is true, then there is no doubt it will get pushed to the side - just look at voice regognition typing software and how unsuccessful that was.

 

I <3 my keyboard.

[the tree]

Voice recognition does get used, it hasn't replaced typing and is probably not going to, but it does get used.

[Guest_Jim*]

We already have multi-touch screens which create interesting possibilities.

Multi-Touch Interaction Research

[ecoli]

Voice recognition does get used, it hasn't replaced typing and is probably not going to, but it does get used.

 

it has great application though, especially for those with disabilities.

 

A friend of mine is an amazing writer, but he has a learning disability which causes him to not be able to type/ write his words down. This isn't a problem anymore because he has a voice recognition program.

[alt_f13]

Alls I know is musical notation software and FPSs will never be the same if this technology manages to go mainstream.

 

Heh, it's the next generation Wii controller.

[Psycho]

It won't take over, just look at using a microphone to send the message to the computer and then it comes out as text, it doesn't work very well and hardly anyone uses it.

[Sisyphus]

I don't think it's equivalent to voice-recognition software. There's a big difference between performing complex tasks by literally explaining them out loud so a computer will understand and performing them just by imagining them done. As soon as the technology develops a couple more generations I have no doubt it will have as big an impact on society as the internet. However, I don't think this technology is as near readiness as bascule thinks. I'd give it a couple decades at least.

[Cloud]

a lot of technological evolution has taken place in the last 30 years. The general design and 'aesthetic'(if you please) of the keyboard and mouse has hardly changed.

 

Its going to take a lot more years (past 2010) before we begin to accept other forms of interfacing with PCs.

[bascule]

I don't think it's equivalent to voice-recognition software.

 

Indeed, and thank you for being the first to mention this. The logic I'm hearing here is "Other attempts at replacing the keyboard/mouse have failed, therefore this will fail as well." There are false pretender replacements with any ingrained technology. It's part of the technology life cycle. However it's incredibly naive to attempt to deduce from the existence of false pretenders that a technology will never be replaced.

 

There's a big difference between performing complex tasks by literally explaining them out loud so a computer will understand and performing them just by imagining them done.

 

The huge difference here is: these systems are very much like a keyboard/mouse, only bypassing the need for the information from your brain to pass through your hands before entering the computer. You think of discrete bits of information you want to put into the computer.

 

Speech recognition systems, on the other hand, have to deduce these discrete bits of information from complex constructions (words). That makes them considerably more complex and error-prone. Furthermore, noise becomes a much bigger issue, because they have to locate and filter the speaker's voice from the surrounding environment.

 

As soon as the technology develops a couple more generations I have no doubt it will have as big an impact on society as the internet. However, I don't think this technology is as near readiness as bascule thinks. I'd give it a couple decades at least.

 

The way I see it, more has happened with wetware development this year than in the past several decades. I see this as yet another example of accelerating change, which everyone saying "X technology is decades away" overlooks.

[Rocket Man]

the "brain gate" system uses about 100 electrodes to make even minimal functionality. 5 fuctions tops.

i reckon it wont catch on untill the system becomes more versatile, people wont want to go into surgery with a bone saw just to type faster.

[Phi for All]

Perhaps replacing the mouse will come sooner. Less functions to manage and anything that keeps both hands on the keyboard will automatically make you a faster typer.

 

It would be sweet to have an interface that would allow me to scroll, select, navigate and open programs and files without lifting a finger. This could probably happen much sooner than replacing the keyboeard.

[Heretic]

I believe we will be able to at one point type using just our brains, but it will be so expensive and difficult that most people will settle for digital.... pardon the pun.

[bascule]

Perhaps replacing the mouse will come sooner. Less functions to manage and anything that keeps both hands on the keyboard will automatically make you a faster typer.

 

It would be sweet to have an interface that would allow me to scroll' date=' select, navigate and open programs and files without lifting a finger. This could probably happen much sooner than replacing the keyboeard.[/quote']

 

That's an excellent point

[Pleiades]

What about all the random thoughts we think? How will the computer filter out all this noise, you’d have to have some way of turning the input device off. Now that I’m thinking about it, it is possible that the brain would learn to use the interface just as babies naturally learn to use their legs as they grow up, the computer would just become another way to interact with the world. After all, we can select which muscles we want to use, the same thing could conceivably work with a computer interface. I don’t think the technology will be feasible without directly interfacing with neurons using surgically implanted electrodes. Of course, that means people will have to become used to the idea of having surgery just to use a computer. I have no doubt that the day will come eventually.

[reor]

I'm sure the mouse will soon be replaced by eye movement tracking devices or some gloves or touchscreen or whatnot. Keyboard is more difficult, though. Like YT2095 said, we like pressing buttons (i surely do!), so, it'll stay quite popular and i can't think of any better way to input text without the use of highly advanced technology.

 

My preferred vision is that it will be possible to transmit images and sound from brain to pc. Imagine that. You could make your own movies with ease and in no time! The only problem we'd have to solve is rights and morals.

[bascule]

What about all the random thoughts we think? How will the computer filter out all this noise

 

If you RTFA you'd see it picks up very specific impluses from your motor cortex which you have to train yourself to be able to make, although they claim a very low learning curve, much more shallow than the keyboard.

[alt_f13]

I wonder if the mouse pointer itself will become obsolete, as we may one day be able to 'will' windows to close, songs to play, files to download and so on without the need for a pointing device.

 

I have no doubt the mouse will become obsolete, in terms of its use as a pointing device, but I wonder what impact this technology will have on video games, and the fate of the console controller, more specifically.

 

Now brain to brain radio communication... that's a field to look into.

[Klaynos]

I wonder if the mouse pointer itself will become obsolete' date=' as we may one day be able to 'will' windows to close, songs to play, files to download and so on without the need for a pointing device.

 

I have no doubt the mouse will become obsolete, in terms of its use as a pointing device, but I wonder what impact this technology will have on video games, and the fate of the console controller, more specifically.

 

Now brain to brain radio communication... that's a field to look into.[/quote']

 

That'd be good in a computer lab, if it's not very directional, just think of the fun you could have with the person sat beside you's computer...