Facebook has introduced its mind-reading wrist device and an augmented reality keyboard that will allow users to replace the mouse and keyboard in future hardware products.
The company’s Facebook Reality Labs division unveiled the prototype technologies this week during a virtual call with members of the media. Managers of the department talked about the technology while videos of the projects were played for the audience.
The wrist device can read neurological signals sent from the users’ brains to their hands. It could theoretically read these signals to get an idea of what a user wants to do and repeat the action in a virtual or augmented reality environment.
“You actually have more of your brain to control your pulse than any other part of your body, probably twice as many neurons that control your pulse and the movement of your hands as you can give to your mouth for nutrition and speech,” said. TR Reardon, director of research science at Facebook Reality Labs.
The Facebook researchers showed ‘compelling’ actions where a user could pinch his fingers in real life to hold and control virtual, distant objects in augmented reality. The name of the action is a reference to the Star Wars franchise where certain characters can use the Force to control and move people or objects that are far away from them.
In addition, the company has shown electromyography wristbands that users can wear to type on any surface as if they were typing on a physical keyboard. Although there is no keyboard, the EMG wristbands will record the intentions of the user’s fingerprints and write down the letters and words.
Facebook’s development of these technologies comes as the company prepares to launch its first smart glasses later this year. The device will be Ray-Ban glasses and will be released in partnership with Luxottica.
Unlike smartphones, which rely on touch screens, or Oculus virtual reality chapters, which rely on handheld controllers, there is currently no clear import mechanism for smart glasses. That’s why Facebook is working on these projects.
Asked how fast these technologies could move to the public, Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer said they are in the early stages of development.
“It’s hard to predict their timeline,” Schroepfer said. “How these things go in the market, when they show up – are things to which I have no sharp answers. What we focus on is the hardening of these technologies.”