I.am.here is a mobile app that uses a brain computer interface to translate paralysed victims’ emotions into simple statements of feeling.
Every year, almost 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke and 5 million are left permanently disabled. Often, victims lose the power of speech and vision and many experience paralysis – leaving them isolated and unable to communicate with friends and loved ones. Now, a mobile app called I.am.here is using a consumer brain computer interface (BCI) to translate paralysed victims’ emotions into simple statements of feeling, such as ‘I’m so happy’ or ‘I feel bored’. In doing so, it seeks to go some way towards re-establishing or deepening the connection between stroke victims and their friends and families.
I.am.here was created by the Russian stroke foundation ORBi and software developers Yarr! in collaboration with Moscow-based digital communications agency AdWatch Isobar. The system uses a brain computer interface (Emotiv EPOC+ 14-channel EEG headset) to gather raw data about the wearer’s brain activity. This data is then transmitted to a mobile device or tablet, where the free I.am.here app analyses and maps it on to human emotions that can then be translated into words. These words display on the screen, on top of matching graphics and colours, to communicate the stroke victim’s emotional state to friends, family and loved ones. The app also stores a 30-day history of all communication, which can be useful for checking trends in a stroke victim’s wellbeing, for example. Daria Lisichenko, President of the ORBI foundation, says, ‘In most cases the brain fully retains its function, so we can discover the emotional state of the person.’
Alexey Fedorov, creative director at AdWatch Isobar says: ‘We believe that technology can unite people and bring them closer to each other. All it needs is the right idea that would connect different disciplines and thus bring the impossible into reality. Today, millions of people can think and feel, but cannot physically express themselves because of a stroke. Today, millions of people want to hear back from their loved ones, but to no avail. Combining two very different technologies (apps and brain signal readers) together with years and years of scientific research, we came up with a way to connect those people, giving back an ability to communicate to those who’ve lost it. However, we believe that we’ve just scratched the surface. We believe that the product we’ve developed is just the first step along the great road of discovery, and we hope it will inspire others to join us in search for solutions that could help people bring back something they’ve lost.’
I.am.here is available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play.
__TAKEAWAYS
Website: www.iamhereapp.com
Contact: hello@yarr.cc
Company name: ORBi
Innovation name: I.am.here
Country: Russia
Industries: Health & wellbeing / Non-profit & social cause