NASA hears words not yet spoken (Comes close to reading thoughts)

AFP ^ | March 18, 2004

[jwalburg]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - NASA (news - web sites) has developed a computer program that comes close to reading thoughts not yet spoken, by analyzing nerve commands to the throat.

It says the breakthrough holds promise for astronauts and the handicapped.

"A person using the subvocal system thinks of phrases and talks to himself so quietly it cannot be heard, but the tongue and vocal cords do receive speech signals from the brain," said developer Chuck Jorgensen, of NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California.

Jorgensen's team found that sensors under the chin and one each side of the Adam's apple pick up the brain's commands to the speech organs, allowing the subauditory, or "silent speech" to be captured.

The team concluded that the method could be useful on space missions or other difficult working conditions, such as air traffic control towers and even to make current voice-recognition software more active.

"What is analyzed is silent, or subauditory, speech, such as when a person silently reads or talks to himself," Jorgensen said.

"Biological signals arise when reading or speaking to oneself with or without actual lip or facial movement."

On early trials, the program could recognize with 92 percent accuracy six words and 10 numbers that the team repeated sub-vocally.

The first words were "stop," "go," "left," "right," "alpha," and "omega."

Then, the inventors gave each letter of the alphabet a set of digital coordinates.

"We took the alphabet and put it into a matrix -- like a calendar," Jorgensen said.

"We numbered the columns and rows and we could identify each letter with a pair of single-digit numbers.

"So we silently spelled out 'NASA' and then submitted it to a well-known Web search engine. We electronically numbered the Web pages that came up as search results. We used the numbers again to choose Web pages to examine. This proved we could browse the Web without touching a keyboard."

The next trial will command a robot similar to the Rovers currently exploring Mars.

"We can have the model Rover go left or right using silently 'spoken' words.

"A logical spin-off would be that handicapped persons could use this system for a lot of things," he said, as well as persons wanting to speak by telephone without being overheard.

To reach that goal, the team plans to build a dictionary of English words recognizable by speech recognition software.

The equipment will need improved amplifiers to strengthen the electrical nerve signals, which are now run through noise reduction equipment before they can be analyzed.

"The keys to this system are the sensors, the signal processing and the pattern recognition, and that's where the scientific meat of what we're doing resides." Jorgensen said.

[jwalburg]

Scary thought. But I shouldn't think that. It's fine really.

[RightWhale]

To reach that goal, the team plans to build a dictionary of English words recognizable by speech recognition software.

My uncle was doing this at IBM 60 years ago. There are a couple of people here who use this to prepare their narrative reports instead of typing. The software needs to learn your accent, and then you're on your way.

[chemicalman]

My thoughts exactly! hahaha

[reagan_fanatic]

"Comes close to reading thoughts"

Sure hope they're not using Michael Moore or Moby as test subjects.

They'll never be able to finish their research.

[So Cal Rocket]

Just hook the machine up to Free Republic and it will type your posts automatically as you read the threads.

[Esther Ruth]

Does this mean my husband will really be able to read my mind someday? Oh-oh!

[Esther Ruth]

Does this mean my husband will really be able to read my mind someday? Oh-oh!

[RightWhale]

If the pilot daydreams about last night, the ship could end up doing some strange orbits.

[jwalburg]

Yes, but you can also read HIS.

[boris]

Might make for interesting dates. Fit both man and woman with the device...

Think about its (mis)use in court proceedings...

[Spruce]

...reading thoughts not yet spoken...

When did my wife start working for NASA?

[Fiddlstix]

Ping

[SpaceBar]

This is as close to reading thoughts as a photograph of a ball thrown in the air is levitation. Not even remotely similar.

[ahayes]

US Interrogator: "Where are your weapons of mass destruction?"
Saddam: "Musn't think of it! Musn't think of it! Oh no! I thought of it!"

[blam]

First Single-Chip Speech Synthesizer

[Petronski]

Time to wrap my throat in tin foil.

[cinFLA]

Does this mean my husband will really be able to read my mind someday? Oh-oh!

I doubt it. Half the time I misunderstand what my wife says out loud.

[RightWhale]

Speech synthesis was available on the VIC-20. It was kind of Robby the Robot, but it worked for my dog. A little surprising, though. I had the VIC-20 say 'Rex, sit!' and darned if the dog didn't plant its tail end right on the floor. Immediately, first time, and looking kind of confused.

[jwalburg]

They will probably turn this into a wife thought-o-meter some day, you know, like they have for dogs now.

[Enduring Freedom]

My thoughts...

Kerry...no, Query...Jacques Query...motherf3cker...Socialist weasel...boot-licker...