"Voiceless phone" reads your thoughts

Mike Yamamoto | Mar 14, 2008

The next generation in voice technology may bypass the mouth altogether. A couple of weeks ago we saw a consumer product called the Roadrunner headset with microphones strategically placed next to the voicebox--which readers say was based on military versions--but a new technology takes the concept to a level worthy of a sci-fi novel.

Ambient's Audeo, which colleague Rafe Needleman saw demonstrated at a conference in September, is described as a voiceless phone" that uses sensors worn around the neck. A trained individual "can send nerve signals to their vocal cords without making a sound", according to New Scientist Tech, adding that "these signals are picked up by the neckband and relayed wirelessly to a computer that converts them into a computerized voice". The technology behind the Audeo has also been used in controlling wheelchairs.

One reassuring aspect: Ambient co-founder Michael Callahan says the system requires "a level above thinking", meaning that it will work only with thoughts about specific words--so it won't blurt out whatever pops into your head.

Via Crave CNET

Filed under: Future Tech
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captkeebz

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captkeebz says...
Hey! Your headline for this story is misleading and inaccurate! Your sign up page also requires way too much information, so I made sure to lie on everything. Great job, crave! This is contributing to my overall mistrust of cnet networks, coming right on the heels of the unjust firing of whats-his-face over at gamespot. Well done!

Mar 14, 2008 11:02