The Future is Soon!

In class yesterday I mentioned this new technology that allows interfaces to be controlled with your mind. I thought I may as well share the TED Talk that introduces it. 

Although this technology is very new and the extent to which it can actually be utilized is still unknown, it's easy to get carried away with all the possibilities that it presents. Early versions of touch screens often seemed unresponsive and impractical, but they have slowly improved over time. It's not hard to imagine that this technology will evolve as well, and if it becomes as responsive as a touch screen it might represent the next level of user interface.

In class we discussed how the user interface systems have evolved. One major theme of this evolution was removing the abstraction; that is, every level became increasingly linked to a physical direct interpretation of the underlying system. The input has changed from simply typing commands, to manipulating files with a mouse, to touching the files directly. Each of these changes were prompted by the introduction of new technology. The GUI wouldn't have been possible without faster computers that could show graphics! The NUI wouldn't be possible without responsive touch screens.

The next possible step could be this mind technology. This really is the most direct way to communicate with technology. Ideally, there would be no abstraction between what you want to do, and what happens.

As pointed out in class, however, there are some ethical considerations to be aware of for this technology. People don't have as much control over their minds as they do for their body, since everyone has a chance to rationalize their decisions before physically making them. This filter would have to be accounted for. Furthermore, this may provide privacy issues, as technology will literally be able to read your mind. Also, is working with your mind really more efficient than using a touch interface? Not until this technology improves substantially I would argue, or until people become accustom to it. Lastly, this even further decreases the need for actual physical movement (as you can see at 9:09) which could create health considerations.

It may be a little early to get excited, but as we saw with the Microsoft Future Vision, you've got to be able to dream to create anything. After all, half of the technology we have today would have seemed impossible 500 years ago, so who can tell what might come of the future in this exponential age.