I've always thought it's best to think of the eyes as an extention of the brain, since they evolved through time from the cortex. So it makes sense that DARPA would be developing binoculars with processing power that links silicon optics from the real world with neural processing courtesy of our wet-ware.
“U.S. Special Forces may soon have a strange and powerful new weapon in their arsenal: a pair of high-tech binoculars 10 times more powerful than anything available today, augmented by an alerting system that literally taps the wearer's prefrontal cortex to warn of furtive threats detected by the soldier's subconscious. [...] U.S. Special Forces may soon have a strange and powerful new weapon in their arsenal: a pair of high-tech binoculars 10 times more powerful than anything available today, augmented by an alerting system that literally taps the wearer's prefrontal cortex to warn of furtive threats detected by the soldier's subconscious. [...]
The most far-reaching component of the binocs has nothing to do with the optics: it's Darpa's aspirations to integrate EEG electrodes that monitor the wearer's neural signals, cueing soldiers to recognize targets faster than the unaided brain could on its own. The idea is that EEG can spot ”neural signatures“ for target detection before the conscious mind becomes aware of a potential threat or target. [...]
That prefrontal cortex, he explains, allows the brain to pick up patterns quickly, but it also exercises a powerful impulse control, inhibiting false alarms. EEG would essentially allow the binoculars to bypass this inhibitory reaction and signal the wearer to a potential threat. [...]
While some engineers are mimicking the brain, others are going after the eye. Vladimir Brojavic, a former Carnegie Mellon University professor, specializes in a technology that replicates the function of the human retina to allow cameras to see in shadows and poor illumination. He attended last month's workshop, but he said he was unsure whether his company, Intrigue Technologies, would bid for work on the project. ”I'm hesitant to pick it up, in case it would distract us from our product development,“ he says. [...]
DARPA says a soldier's brain can be monitored in real time, with an EEG picking up ”neural signatures“ that indicate target detection. Transmitting these signals back through the binoculars, the soldier would then be alerted to the threat, and could focus his or her attention on the target. [...] DARPA says a soldier's brain can be monitored in real time, with an EEG picking up ”neural signatures“ that indicate target detection. Transmitting these signals back through the binoculars, the soldier would then be alerted to the threat, and could focus his or her attention on the target.” [More at Wired]
team has overcome some traditional barriers to eye-tracking gear by leveraging the red-eye effect that frustrates many photographers, in which light is reflected back to the camera from the subject's retina. The eyebox2 registers a view by deliberately inducing an instance of infrared-eye. When your eyeballs are aimed in its direction, they reflect light back to the camera, which detects the reflection and registers the fact that someone is looking at it.
is more to this than freaky fun. The goal is to simulate the the visual/mental experience of schizophrenia to help people develop greater understanding of and sensitivity toward individuals with whom they interact.
