AlterEgo
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (April 2018) |
AlterEgo is a proprietary wearable silent speech output-input device developed by MIT Media Lab.[1] The device is attached around the head, neck and jawline and translates muscular and neural activity into words on a computer without vocalization.[2]
Description
The device consists of seven small electrodes that attach at various points around the jawline and mouth to monitor electrical inputs to the muscles used for speech.[3]
The device is a form of peripheral neural-computer interface. Although often cited as a decoder of brain signals, the device primarily reads electrical activity from neural signals in the speech musculature and not from the brain directly to preserve a user's privacy.[4]
The device requires the user to actively engage muscles in the throat and tongue, although demonstrations of the product conceal this fact to convey the impression of a static silent speech decoder.
Background
AlterEgo was designed by Arnav Kapur, a graduate student at MIT,[5] and became public in 2018. The device was designed to help people with speech disabilities.[6] In 2018, the device was presented at the Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces where the research team reported a 92% median word-accuracy rate.[7][8]
See also
External links
- MIT Alterego overview
- MIT news
- International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces
- Fluid Interfaces group
- Transcribing the Voice in Your Head
References
- ^ Ossola, Alexandra (April 5, 2018). "This Crazy Gadget Helps You "Talk" To Your Computer Without Words". Futurism. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Agarwal, Radhika (September 17, 2024). "MIT student creates device that can listen to your thoughts and has access to the internet". Good. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ ""Siri, Read My Mind": A New Device Lets Users Think Commands - upworthyscience.com". upworthyscience.com. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". MIT Media Lab. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
- ^ "MIT student creates device that is able to search the entire internet using just his mind". UNILAD. September 13, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ Nair, Vandana (January 31, 2024). "Kapur's AlterEgo 'Thinks' Ahead of Musk's Neuralink". Analytics India Magazine. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ Mack, Eric. "You Can Talk To MIT's Mind-Reading Headset Without Ever Opening Your Mouth". Forbes. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ AlterEgo: A Personalized Wearable Silent Speech Interface