This Gadget Puts a Digital Assistant Inside Your Head

AlterEgo is getting more sophisticated.

Reading Lips

A small wearable headset called AlterEgo can detect the subtle electrical stimulations sent to mouth muscles from the brain, letting people send commands to a digital assistant without saying a word.

It's not quite mind-reading, but the still-under-development device could help users silently control their smart homes, translate foreign languages, or overcome speech impediments, according to Digital Trends. Should the AlterEgo ever reach the market, it could totally change the way we interact with technology — and other people.

Hey Siri

Arnav Kapur, the MIT post-doc developing the device, told Digital Trends that he envisions a future in which his device can be used to help people with neurological conditions better navigate the world.

Wearers could use it as a discreet communication device or memory aid, silently prompting the AlterEgo to speak for them or provide information.

"My goal with AlterEgo is to enable people with speech pathologies to communicate in real time, the rates at which I speak," Kapur told Digital Trends.

READ MORE: Don’t speak: This wearable lets you give voice commands without saying a word [Digital Trends]

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