Mind controlled music software: make music with your brain!

Scientists from the University of Malta just create a software for making music that is controlled by the mind.

A Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system is a communication system where a person has the ability to communicate with a computer through his or her brain signals rather than using the peripheral nerves and muscles. A BCI system effectively allows for the conversion of patterns of electrical brain activity into commands to control specific equipment. BCI technology relies on the acquisition of electrical signals generated by billions of neurones inside the brain. The electrical fluctuations that arise from these neurones reach the scalp where they can be detected and recorded by means of non-invasive metal electrodes through a process known as electroencephalography (EEG). In a BCI system EEG data is recorded from the human subject and this is then processed to extract reliable features which can then be mapped into computer based commands such as moving a cursor on a screen or selecting from sets of letters.

The commands control the music player without the need of any physical movement; the user just needs to look at the right box. The program figures out where the user is looking through his or her brain patterns, allowing the music player to be controlled. 

Just amazing!