Together with
Meta unveiled a wristband it’s been developing for years that allows wearers to control computers, tablets, and smartphones without touching them.
Why It Hits: Big Tech would love to make the act of scrolling and typing a thing of the past. While most of the attention is paid to riskier ventures involving brain-interface chips, Meta’s use of electrical signals in our muscles could give it an edge with the average consumer (i.e., those who don’t want open-skull surgery).
Between the Hands: Soon, we may all be able to use our computers like Tom Cruise in Minority Report.
- It works by reading “the electrical signals that pulse through your muscles when you move your fingers” — a technique called electromyography, or EMG.
- These signals are developed by neurons in a person’s spinal cord and connect directly to the muscle fibers in their forearm — a signal so strong it can be read outside the body.
- And because these signals are created by commands from a person’s brain, the device can pick them up even before any actual movement occurs. That means it can almost function without movement — just the intention of it.
- Reading that intention could potentially allow wearers to complete tasks faster than they could physically, since the device would be operating almost at the speed of thought.
The Future: While experts note that EMG has been around for decades, it’s Meta’s innovations in AI that now make it possible to create a device like this. Dr. Thomas Reardon, the Meta VP behind the wristband and the inventor of Internet Explorer, collected signals from 10,000 volunteers and ran them through a neural network to identify patterns — essentially creating a baseline for how the device responds to each wearer. Over time, individual devices will become more attuned to the people who use them.
Prediction: With Dr. Reardon already teasing that Meta will likely fold the wristband tech into existing devices, Meta’s first true computer device could be a mix of its smart glasses and the wristband.
TOGETHER WITH CANVA
No design skills needed! 🪄✨
Canva Pro is the design software that makes design simple, convenient, and reliable. Create what you need in no time! Jam-packed with time-saving tools that make anyone look like a professional designer.