US Army To Develop "Thought Helmets" 226
Hugh Pickens writes "Time Magazine reports on a $4 million US Army contract to begin developing 'thought helmets' to harness silent brain waves for secure communication among troops that the Army hopes will 'lead to direct mental control of military systems by thought alone.' The Army's initial goal is to capture brain waves with software that translates the waves into audible radio messages for other troops in the field. 'It'd be radio without a microphone,' says Dr. Elmar Schmeisser, the Army neuroscientist overseeing the program. 'Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.' The key challenge will be to develop software able to pinpoint speech-related brain waves and pick them up with a 128-sensor array that ultimately will be buried inside a helmet. Scientists deny charges that they're messing with soldiers' minds. 'A lot of people interpret wires coming out of the head as some sort of mind reading,' says Dr. Mike D'Zmura. 'But there's no way you can get there from here.' One potential civilian spin-off: a Bluetooth Helmet so people nearby can't hear you when you talk on your cell phone."
US Army Chief of Staff To Develop "Thought" (Score:5, Funny)
US Army Chief of Staff To Develop "Thought"
Re:US Army Chief of Staff To Develop "Thought" (Score:5, Funny)
TEMPEST... (Score:5, Funny)
One problem with this is any electrical activity on the brain detected is then amplified. This makes TEMPEST attacks on the thoughts of the soldier much easier as the attacker already has an amplifier attached to the soldier. Solution? Every US Army soldier needs to wear a tin foil hat!
Re:TEMPEST... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Dystopia alert.
The complete technological dystopia clock now reads at 11:42.
Re: (Score:2)
Then again, you never know which heartbeat shall be the last, so why fret, unless you're a guitar?
Re: (Score:2)
because the fretted electric base is pretty nice, although a Fender Jazz Bass with fret markers rather than actual frets do play a lot smoother. I likes them.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Prior to the filter? (Score:5, Interesting)
Wouldn't this take stuff before people have the ability to filter what they say and speak it out loud?
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Don't ask, don't tell, don't think.
+1 sad.
doubt they are at that level of reading brainwave (Score:2)
Re:doubt they are at that level of reading brainwa (Score:5, Interesting)
For "silent" communication I can see morse being communicated that way, but reading words from the brain ? Maybe one can train people to concentrate and clearly form a few specific patterns which can then be recognized afterward and translated to words, but i doubt you could learn and differentiate so many patterns as to have a wordly communication. Furthermore in the midst of fire exchange, I doubt this would be easier to use than a radio.
I don't think adults can easily learn to use their brains in an entirely new way like this. Maybe if you gave a really young child one of these with some kind of visual feedback for them they could develop a more sophisticated way of communicating with it.
Or better yet, maybe deaf kids could use this to talk amongst themselves. It would have to be started very young though, so the brain could develop and strengthen the areas needed. Actually this is now sounding a bit like the plot from The Midwitch Cuckoos.
Re: (Score:2)
As a battlefield tool, I can't imagine it being of any use to soldiers who haven't used it for years and don't need to think about it. What these military people need for it to work are orphans or clones. Even cheaper, just use robots. Of course, these strategies might be considered inhumane.
Re: (Score:2)
So what you do is get a civilian version to use as a game controller. Then by the time you draft them, they're already trained.
Re: (Score:2)
You misunderstand the functionality. The device interprets the activity in the speech center of the brain, and translates it into speech. The only 'training' you need is the ability to speak. This isn't some sort of obtuse mindspeak.
It's similar to other research that noted minuscule vibrations in people's vocal chords while they type, vibrations that correspond to the words they were typing.
Re: (Score:2)
The adult human brain is more than capable of adapting to new peripherals. The idea that children are better at learning than adults is no longer supported by science. Children just happen to be bombarded by new ideas at all times.
I think the idea of this peripheral is that the subject would have a few commands that he would learn how to actively control. The number would grow over time - with practice. These commands could then be sent without any verbal cues, allowing for completely covert operation.
In th
Re: (Score:2)
The adult human brain is more than capable of adapting to new peripherals. The idea that children are better at learning than adults is no longer supported by science. Children just happen to be bombarded by new ideas at all times.
I don't think that's right. A child can sustain pretty massive brain damage, like removing a hemisphere for example, and make a pretty good recovery, recruiting other brain areas to compensate for the lost parts. An adult can't do that. It is true that adults can learn and adapt their brains throughout life, but children up to the age of about 10 are infinitely better at it.
Not "speach" but only a subset keywords (Score:3, Insightful)
For "silent" communication I can see morse being communicated that way, but reading words from the brain ? Maybe one can train people to concentrate and clearly form a few specific patterns which can then be recognized afterward and translated to words
Yes indeed, if you read the summary, they don't intend to pick up whole speeches from within the brain, only small precise commands. From the summary :
Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.
In terms of though-reading this is as close to "reading speech", .bind F12 'Heal,plz!'; " is close to a long IRC chat between non-lolspeak-challenged people in terms of internet textual
- as trained keyword recognition (teach your handsfree to recognise "reject call" command) is close to untrained free-form dictation in the field of voice recognition.
- or as "
Re:Prior to the filter? (Score:5, Interesting)
It sounds like they're tapping into the signals that would normally be sent to the muscles (not to the motor nerves themselves, but the last stage prior to them). In a computer analogy, this would be like reading signals between the filesystem driver and the physical device driver - all the "filtering" of what you would actually say has probably already been done. Similarly, this wouldn't catch fleeting thoughts which you would never vocalize. On the other hand, it quite possibly *would* catch thoughts which you would normally say only under your breath or when the mic is off. There's still plenty of potential for embarassment...
It's easier than you think... (Score:2)
Re:Prior to the filter? (Score:4, Informative)
Who knows? The military probably doesn't. After all, the military experimented with LSD long before it knew what it was. That's what so great about working with live soldiers. Our soldiers have no rights. They signed them away -- when they signed on the dotted line.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Prior to the filter? (Score:5, Funny)
Recruits: Sir, yes sir.
Helmet: What a dickhead.
Re: (Score:2)
They can have a button to press for letting it get to the radio broadcaster.
Kind of like the Transmit buttons already found on the radios, just hooked up to the helmet rather than a mic.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Nifty... I can see guys getting in real trouble with this. "Man that captain is hot, I wonder how she..."
*Stern look from the Captain*
"Uh umm..." *takes off helm*
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Perhaps I'm not fully understanding it, but I believe they don't have the ability to do on-the-spot translation. Instead, soldiers would likely go through a training regiment where they "think" commands, and the helmets are tuned for them personally while trying to get patterns as uniform as possible.
So when they think "Bravo Team Forward", the helmet recognizes the expected brain waves and translates it. When they think "I could use a mallomar bar and a hooker", the helmet ignores it. You'd get a lot of
Re: (Score:2)
Fixed that for you.
I can see it now... (Score:5, Funny)
(All thought, of course)
"Private Jenkins, Cover me!"
"Sir, Yes, Sir!....man, sarge is so cool and he has such a great ass! He can cov-er-me-an-e-time-he-likes, tee-hee!"
"Uhh...private Jenkins?!"
"Uhh uhh yes, sarge?"
"...I think I love you, too"
And then they'd get shot or something. Anyway, the moral of the story is...well...I forget, what were we thinking about, again?
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
"Lerrrrroooyyy Jenkins!!!!!!!"
You know, helmets are so uncomfortable... (Score:4, Funny)
They should really look into other ways to deploy something like this. Maybe something that could be injected into a person. Perhaps nanotechnology?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
...Perhaps this is meant for in-the-rear commo vice while out on patrol...
Jesus! You mean this thing gets rectally inserted? Oh, wait... that would mean it would be near the soldier's brain then... good idea!
Re: (Score:2)
Well, they already wear a rather large and uncomfortable kevlar helmet
Bah! Kids nowadays! The new Advanced Combat Helmet they issue now is NICE compared to that old nasty PASGT we had in the 90's. It's only 3.25 lbs vs seven freakin' pounds, and has a higher back and 4-point strap so it doesn't slide down over your eyes when you go prone.
perhaps it will be incorporated into the existing helmet and commo systems.
yes, that's the plan.
Re:You know, helmets are so uncomfortable... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah and helmets have that nasty habit of preventing battlefield debris from getting lodged in your brain. Somehow I think that's worth being a tad uncomfortable.
Re: (Score:2)
But will it run on lemons? (Score:2)
For use in new aircraft? (Score:2)
Must remember to think in Russian when using the USSR version.
Re: (Score:2)
Must remember to think in Russian when using the USSR version.
Don't you mean:
"Must remember to think in Russian when using FireFox?"
Re: (Score:2)
That's the second time in this thread I have seen this. What does it mean?
change thinking? (Score:5, Insightful)
'Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.'
Am I the only one who's thinking "danger!danger!" here?
talking is one thing, changing the way you think is more like... brainwashing?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
talking is one thing, changing the way you think is more like... brainwashing?
This is already a standard procedure.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Just sing Beatles songs in your head. Worked for Dr. Zarkov.
Quick! Check the angular vector of the moon!
Poor Topol.
Re: (Score:2)
No, the army is for killing people (Score:2)
Even if they pull this off... (Score:4, Insightful)
... I wonder what the voice would sound like. I mean, the vocal cords and stuff determine what your voice sounds like, so if they read your mind and pipe that through a system it'd probably sound like a robot.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a bit late now (Score:2)
He's not your Commander in Chief much longer, the next one will be capable of thought on his own.
Too cheap? (Score:2)
Time Magazine reports on a $4 million US Army contract to begin developing 'thought helmets [..]
We already have technology for picking up silent brain waves, but it still sounds like $4 million is slightly too cheap for this project.
Also, what happens if a soldier panics and goes beyond reason? Wouldn't that create radio interference?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Obligatory "Military Intelligence" Joke (Score:4, Funny)
We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. (Score:2)
Backspace? (Score:5, Funny)
Thought : "Roger, Air Force One. Approach terminal Whisky-one"
Transmit (to Roger) : "Terminate Air Force with Whiskey"
Protection (Score:2, Insightful)
Hell of a way to screw up a war (Score:4, Insightful)
Unless there's one time pad data in the helmet, the war might come to a tragic halt for the USA when the enemy fills up our heads with porn.
This wired up army is a dumb idea. It's better to give troops the flexibility to matters into their own hands on the battlefield. If you want to have a better US Army, maybe instead of blowing billions on trying to turn platoons into borg, maybe pay sergeants more and jack up their retention rate. Sergeants are the backbone of any army and always will be more, more so than any communications gizmo.
Re: (Score:2)
Unless there's one time pad data in the helmet, the war might come to a tragic halt for the USA when the enemy fills up our heads with porn.
Don't be daft. The helmet system is read-only. It's basically the neurological monitoring of subvocalized speech.
This wired up army is a dumb idea. It's better to give troops the flexibility to matters into their own hands on the battlefield.
Yeah, because communication is just a distraction in warfare. You think this is about creating a Soviet model army, where the officers basically move mindless units around like chess pieces? Please. We simply don't work that way, and haven't since before WW1.
If you want to have a better US Army, maybe instead of blowing billions on trying to turn platoons into borg, maybe pay sergeants more and jack up their retention rate. Sergeants are the backbone of any army and always will be more, more so than any communications gizmo.
NCO retention is important, but it's not the end-all be-all of warfare. Also, throwing money at the problem isn't the answer. I was a sergea
Am i wrong to feel a bit disgusted? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
You do understand the difference between local and federal government, right? Because I had a pothole on the road near my house, took all of 2 days for it to get filled. But I suppose my local government isn't incompetent...
Web Development Be Damned. (Score:4, Insightful)
Put all objections and concerns aside for a second.
Honestly, isn't stuff like this why we all went into computer science and engineering in the first place? Crazy sci-fi ideas that have little to no practical value in the short (and often long) term.
Don't stop chasing the dream!
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Honestly, isn't stuff like this why we all went into computer science
I went into computer science for the girls........
The Men Who Stare at Goats (Score:2)
I urge you to read this book for an account of the lengths army will go to in researching stuff like this.
Dear aunt, (Score:3, Funny)
let's set so double the killer select all.
Female Soilders (Score:2)
If DARPA gets this technology then it will be used keep women out of combat.
A means to read women's minds is beyond the possibility of any science!
How soon will it be ready? (Score:2)
impersonate the commander? (Score:2, Insightful)
so what frequency do i use to control the soldiers, listen in on them, or jam thier signals?
hope their crypto is good.
Re: (Score:2)
Use the frequency 140.85, they'll listen to whatever comes down that line no matter what.
Re: (Score:2)
A hard-scifi fiction book I read discussed this in precision.
Greg Egan theorizes that there will be quantum detectors the size of a fly for surveillance purposes. These devices would be able to land on a person and capture their thoughts via neuron detection. To combat this, they have their neuron interconnects scrambled. It takes about 6 weeks for the nanobots to learn how to reconnect.
The devices learn that people have re-arranged brain patterns, so they combat it via intercranial nanobots. In result, a c
Sorry, Army (Score:2)
...The name "Firefox" is taken.
rj
What happens when... (Score:4, Funny)
...one of the soldiers gets a tune stuck in his head?
All the rest of the soldiers will hear his mental rendition of "Never gonna give you up" by Rick Astley.
Not a pretty sight. Do we really want to live in a world where you can be MENTALLY Rick-rolled?
I don't think so.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh Oh Oh Oh Stayin Alive. Stayin Alive.
ALS (Score:3, Interesting)
There is a difference between... (Score:2)
Quote: 'Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.'
There is a difference between TALKING and THINKING. I suspect some rather HEAVY training will have to be involved, else, it could make for hilarious slips of the "ahem" mind/tongue!
Mouth says: Aye Aye SIR!
But Mind Really Thinks: F**k you and the horse you rode in SIR!
Re: (Score:2)
There is a difference between TALKING and THINKING.
Not when you're talking about monitoring the speech center of the brain.
I suspect some rather HEAVY training will have to be involved
The idea is that it will pick up certain sub-vocalized keywords and string together the appropriate canned audio fragments. It'd take less training than using voice dial on your cell phone.
Mind science has been with us for a long time. (Score:2)
It's a nice Saturday, so I thought I'd share some light reading with everybody; I've uploaded in its entirety a copy of Walter Bowart's Operation Mind Control [sharebee.com] for anybody who wants to read it. (It's a text-searchable PDF scan of the book. Thanks to whoever scanned it.)
This book was derived largely from papers acquired through the FOIA, and it is quite clear about how advanced the military was in the field of mind-control and mind-reading. (Skip ahead to chapter 18 after you take a moment to read the au
One more invention that worked, ha? (Score:2)
Obviously they stole the idea from Dr. Dr. Emmett Brown [obsessedwithfilm.com]
Getting Smart (Score:2)
Microsoft's version: (Score:2)
They're calling it the "George Bush" hat (Score:2)
I think.
No you don't (Score:2)
I think.
Liar.
This is nothing new (Score:2)
Bogousity For Dollars (Score:2)
Somebody's sucking hard on the research teat. Anyone who knows "brain waves" worth a damn knows that different people have entirely different EEG profiles in general, in dynamic response and in contextual/environmental response. Trying to find an EEG response consistent enough to be used in a device that can be slapped on any head (GIs don't have time to train their brain helmets every morning) is going to suck up all US$4M and then some and still have its empty hand out.
Why all this golly gee whiz hand wa
Interrogation.. (Score:2)
Rootkit Ads (Score:2)
What happens when these helmets are rootkitted, and they start playing pop-up ads directly into the soldiers' brains while idle?
Hmmm....
3. Profit!!!
As well as.......... (Score:2)
Hillarious (Score:3, Interesting)
'Because soldiers are already trained to talk in clean, clear and formulaic ways, it would be a very small step to have them think that way.'
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
It's been a long time since I had as good a laugh as when I read that statement.
Re:Oxymoron (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
It's commonly considered an oxymoron as an oft-repeated joke, but it isn't really accurate, it's rhetoric.
Indeed, being a former member of the military intelligence community, I can say with a high degree of surety that the vast majority of the people I worked with make a lot of the self-supposed braniacs on slashdot look like idiots. Hell, a number of them made me* feel dumb.
* I am, of course, a self-supposed braniac, though my analysis of the matter is clearly accurate!
But you have to think in Russian for it to work (Score:2)
But you have to think in Russian for it to work the Thought systems in Atlantis work better.
Re: (Score:2)
the American thought helmet will be made of Chinese components, so thinking in Mandarin probably will be most efficient
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Use a lucid moment to commit suicide and deprive the masters of your services. Better death than slavery.
Coherent thoughts (Score:2)
If he's smart enough to get reelected, how stupid is he? The election was rigged? If it was, so what, anyone in jail for that? No? So how stupid is he?
If he's smart enough that his current party still has a convincing chance of retaining power, that's even better. Seriously, can you say the odds are < 20%?
And this is despite his party doing all sorts of bad things to the country (and other countries).
So who really are the stupid ones?
Funny how so many
Re: (Score:2)
Or Bugs Bunny:
"Oh mighty warrior, 'twill be quite a task.
How will you do it, might I enquire to ask?"
"I will do it with my spear and magic helmet!"
"Your spear and magic helmet?"
"Spear and magic helmet!"
"Magic helmet?"
"MAGIC HELMET!"
"....pfft, 'magic helmet!'"
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Training soldiers to think in short thoughts will invariably cross-over into actual thought patterns that will reduce soldiers' creativity, adjustability and preparation for future events.
Invariably? You obviously missed the entire premise of this device and went off into some bizarre Firefox fantasy-land. This device is essentially intended to pick up sub-vocalized speech neurologically. It has fuck-all to do with "thinking". In combat we already speak in short, terse language. That hasn't stunted our "creativity" in the slightest.
You can see the effects, now, of how the Army trains vs. how young soldiers actually think when they come out of Basic and AI training - the world is all black and white.
You think a nug fresh out of basic/AIT is representative of a fully trained soldier? You've clearly never been in the army. That shit's just to put you in the pro