The Future of Bio-Interfacing for Consumers

Throughout history, humans have built machines with a focus on efficiency. As machines prove their worth, and become part of the world we live in, they become entwined with and indispensible to our lives. Yet, machines are designed for repetition, precision, and throughput. Machines are designed to be void of emotions. Could our future with ever-proliferating machines degenerate into a cold and regimented world, as foretold by sci-fi prophecies?

Think about the relationship you have with your cell phone. What form of emotional relationship do you have with an emotionless machine? Imagine it is time for you to shop for your next cell phone. You scour the web for information, and query your social networks for recommendations. When you zero in on a model, you read reviews and tear-down reports and drive to the store to hold the phone in your hand. Do the buttons feel right? Does the color match that of your eyes? Finally, you become the proud owner of the shiny new phone. You immediately personalize it with your special ring tone, wallpaper, and carrying case. It becomes the first thing you reach for every morning, and the last thing you let go of at bedtime.

We develop intimate bonds with our favorite gadgets. Yet, as much as we try to anthropomorphize our gadgets, they are still mass-produced in a factory. With few exceptions, gadgets are still designed in the vein of "humans conforming to machines". In order for the gadgets to become "machines conforming to humans", they will have to begin to understand the wants and needs of the humans. Where do we start? Consumer bio-interfacing technologies will enable machines to sense human needs automatically. This presentation will demonstrate current and future examples of NeuroSky bio-sensors integrated into consumer applications.