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Honda’s Asimo Robot Tests Telepathic Control

May 24, 2006 | Posted by Allison as All About Them Robots at 1:31 pm | (1) Comment »

Well, I don’t want to mention any names (1984, Anthem, War of the Worlds) but I fear we may be answering to the robot one day soon.

Smarty pants researchers have developed an interface for Honda’s Asimo robot that tests the boundaries of science and the speculative nature of telepathy.  The interface allows individuals to “control” Asimo simply by thinking.  Honda & ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed a system that uses an MRI machine to measure an individual’s brain signals which are then relayed to Asimo the robot.

In a recent demonstration a person in an MRI machine made first a fist, then a V-sign.  Asimo was able to perform the same movements within a few seconds.  What is potentially very exciting about this breakthrough is that the same system can be used to control a keyboard or a phone which would greatly benefit those with spinal cord injuries.

While this is super fantastic news, that’s right- I said super fantastic- I can’t help but feel a little weary of putting so much trust in a bunch of blinking electronic parts.  Call me Grandma Worries Pants, but it just feels a little oh- ‘Asimo one day will be celebrating the fact that I was able to make a fist & a V-sign after it sent over some willful thoughts in my general direction’- but maybe I am just Grandma Worry Pants. 

Via:  Robot Gossip