Scientists from Stanford: a gadget placed in the ear can monitor the brain

Representatives from Stanford said that devices that are installed in the ear and monitor the brain, will soon become a reality. In any case, work on such devices is already underway, as reported by Poppy Krum, the university's neurobiologist.

Moreover, such systems in the future can not only monitor the brain, but also have a positive effect on people's cognitive abilities.

Scientists compare ears with a USB port to which you can connect, provided you know what and how to connect. And this “port” can be used not only to “write” data to the brain – for example, while listening to music or lectures, but also to “read”. Specialized gadgets make it possible to assess the emotional state of a person.

The built-in gadget can detect moments when the brain is overloaded and help focus on the desired sound source. They can also reduce the level of signals that provoke stress and even “connect” a person to smart devices, such as thermostats and lighting systems. The point is that the device evaluates the state of a person and accordingly changes the mode of operation of surrounding devices.

Experts from Stanford even called such gadgets "empathic", responding to the emotional state of the owner, as mentioned above.

As an example, a situation where a person tries to follow the events of a TV show in the kitchen while cooking a meal. Heard badly and the user is under stress. The gadget built into the ear, "understands" that the owner – a stressful situation associated with low sound levels. “Understanding” comes after a detailed analysis of blood pressure, brain activity and eye movement. As a result, the gadget automatically raises the volume of the show being shown. This is a simple but illustrative example.

The second example. You come to the restaurant and try to relax. But it does not work, because the music sounds loud, plus other visitors are noisy. The gadget, as in the previous example, “understands” why a person is under stress and adjusts the volume level of the built-in microphones in such a way that the ambient noise goes away and the music becomes quieter, while the owner continues to hear his interlocutor perfectly. Modern hi-tech earplugs are able to do something similar.

Among other things, such systems can assess the state of the human body, highlighting deviations from the norm, which may indicate that or another disease (for example, heart problems).

Wearable device developers have long been releasing a wide variety of gadgets that can monitor pressure, heartbeat, mood, oxygen levels in the blood, and many other parameters. Some devices are able to amplify some sounds and drown others (we are talking about headphones, gags like Bragi Dash or Samsung Gear IconX).

It is likely that in the near future, the functionality of different devices will be consolidated into a single whole, and the gadget will be embedded in the ear.

According to scientists from Stanford, such solutions will be technologically possible within five years. “Gadgets of this type will be able to evaluate and“ understand ”the needs of their owners, automatically responding to external and internal factors,” says Krum.

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