Facebook has unveiled a prototype bracelet to interact with the virtual.
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We sometimes forget how our body is a wonderful machine.
To move his finger left or down, a neural signal from the brain travels as an electrical (and chemical) message to the contracting muscle fibers.
Sorry for this S terminal reminder, but this is the signal Facebook is banking on for the future of the human-machine interface.
And allow us to manipulate virtual objects or "click" to validate an appointment that is displayed in augmented reality on its future smart-glasses.
Facebook unveils a prototype neural interface bracelet for augmented reality.
It detects nerve impulses (electromyography or EMG) for basic gestures.
Demo at the end to type on the keyboard without a keyboard * you are the keyboard, Neo * 🤯https: //t.co/3eBmXT5ZSe pic.twitter.com/TGSBNzmqAG
- Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) March 18, 2021
While Elon Musk wants to graft a chip into our brain with NeuraLink, Facebook is betting on a less violent approach in the short term.
On Thursday, its Facebook Reality Labs lab unveiled a prototype bracelet that decodes these electrical signals at the wrist using electromyography (EMG).
According to the company, the signals are "so clear" that its system is able "to understand finger gestures of the order of a millimeter".
Eventually, it shouldn't even be necessary to move them anymore: just intending to do so will be enough.
Facebook nevertheless specifies it to all those horrified at the idea of ​​giving the keys to their brain to Mark Zuckerberg: no, the system "does not read your thoughts".
A custom imaginary keyboard
For now, Facebook, which bought the start-up CTRL-Labs in 2019, is focusing on a basic action: the click, with the thumb and forefinger to validate an action.
But researchers at Facebook Reality Labs have also demonstrated the keyboard of the future: just tap on a table.
To be clear, we are not talking about a holographic keyboard, which would require targeting virtual keys in the frozen position.
You tap on any surface, and the system analyzes the relative movement of the fingers to guess which imaginary key you pressed.
This means that the system calibrates itself for each individual.
Facebook believes itself in the matrix and sums it up like this: “You are the keyboard.
With a large dose of autocorrect and predictive analytics, the company is convinced that we will end up typing faster than on a physical keyboard.
All this for what?
Facebook is already one of the leaders in virtual reality with Oculus.
But the company is also expected to launch connected glasses, in partnership with RayBan, this year.
Be careful, this first model will not offer an augmented reality display as with Microsoft's HoloLens headset.
For real “AR glasses”, the race is on between Facebook and Apple, and we should probably still have to wait two or three years.
Brain
Facebook
High-Tech