Facebook high-tech wristband can turn nerve signals into inputs to play games and more

Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) Research in their objective to create category-defining consumer hardware and software has announced new wearable technology that can take direct nerve signals from the wrist to play Augment Reality games.

People when playing games have to choose between several brands for consoles and mobile phones which come with different user-interface and hardware such as controllers, and accessories. Friends with different consoles can't play the same game.

This is where FRL's new tech comes into play. It wants to get rid of the barrier of hardware limitation and multiple user-interfaces for not just playing games, but also introduce new way of communication.

FRL's groundbreaking work in soft robotics has come up with comfortable, all-day wearable devices that can take inputs right from the nerves of the wrist, a direct human-computer interface.

For instance, if you think in the mind to move your finger, an electrical signal moves from the brain to the arm via nerves and Facebook believes, this signal can be tracked and turned to input for a computer to perform a task.

Users can just think of an action and the wristband will understand it. Credit: Facebook

In the future, you can simply think you have a mouse in your hand and think of moving the cursor or scroll the screen on the virtual wall or a computer display, the wristband will understand exactly what your thoughts are and perform the action wireless.

"We’re building an interface for AR that won’t force us to choose between interacting with our devices and the world around us. We’re developing natural, intuitive ways to interact with always-available AR glasses because we believe this will transform the way we connect with people near and far," the company said.

Facebook Reality Lab's wristband prototype. Credit: Facebook

Unlike the current crop of AR headgears which rely on visual sensors to perform actions, FRL's headset can take the body's internal nerve signals from the new-age wristband.

FRL is betting on EMG (electromyography), which uses sensors to translate electrical motor nerve signals that travel through the wrist to the hand into digital commands that people can use to control the functions of a device.

This project is still in the early stage, more work needs to done in terms of developing an Artificial Intelligence algorithm to improve the device's capability of becoming contextually aware of the situation so that it can understand commands correctly and perform the right action.

Why the wrist?
"There are many other input sources available, all of them useful. Voice is intuitive, but not private enough for the public sphere or reliable enough due to background noise. A separate device you could store in your pocket like a phone or a game controller adds a layer of friction between you and your environment. As we explored the possibilities, placing an input device at the wrist became the clear answer: The wrist is a traditional place to wear a watch, meaning it could reasonably fit into everyday life and social contexts. It’s a comfortable location for all-day wear. It’s located right next to the primary instruments you use to interact with the world — your hands," the company said.

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