BrainCo CEO says his ‘mind-reading’ tech is here to improve concentration, not surveillance
- BrainCo has developed a technology that detects and translates human brain signals via the use of advanced sensors and AI algorithms
- Social media storm erupted after pictures emerged showing kids wearing Focus headbands in school classroom
As Harvard-educated engineer Han Bicheng worked day and night with his team in Boston on a new invention aimed at benefiting the entire human race, on the other side of the Pacific his “mind-reading” product became mired in an online controversy about how China’s adoption of groundbreaking technologies may spur the creation of a surveillance state.
Founded in Somerville, Massachusetts, Han’s four-year-old start-up BrainCo is turning something from the realms of science fiction into a working reality – namely a brain-machine interface device.
By detecting and translating human brain signals via the use of advanced sensors and complicated machine learning algorithms, the company has developed a technology that not only improves people’s cognitive skills but also allows them to control the movement of a robot at a distance purely through the power of their minds.
As BrainCo says in its marketing materials, it wants to “ultimately help humans reach their full potential”.
However, in the more down-to-earth world of social media, a controversy erupted after a post in China showed pictures of schoolchildren wearing BrainCo Focus head bands transmitting signals to an external device, which could then be used by teachers to monitor how focused the kids were during class.