Meta has developed a groundbreaking wristband that enables users to type and interact with computers without touching a screen, representing a significant advancement in human-computer interface technology.
The “neuromotor wristband” captures the intention behind muscle movements, detecting and decoding electrical signals produced by forearm muscles using artificial intelligence. In a video demonstration, a user successfully wrote “hello world” in mid-air, with the text appearing on a screen. The device also allows users to move a cursor around a screen and play games using only finger taps or tiny hand motions, showcasing its versatility and potential applications.
“It really is a somewhat breathtaking set of discoveries we have here,” said Thomas Reardon, vice president of research at Meta Reality Labs, in a company-provided video explanation.
Unlike most brain machine interfaces available today that require surgery, the electrodes in Meta’s wristband pick up signals sent from the brain to the muscles without invasive procedures. “We decided to take a different approach and record from the natural output of the brain. We don’t need to go into your body to listen to [it]. We can do that from the side of the body,” Reardon explained.
The wrist and forearm contain numerous muscles that control hand and finger movements. These neuromuscular signals are processed in real time and send commands to computers via Bluetooth. The Meta team collected training data from thousands of participants to build an AI that works for users with different movement styles, ensuring the technology’s adaptability across diverse populations.
“We took the approach of saying, how would we build something such that it just worked right out of the box with eight billion people?” Reardon said. “This research that we’re publishing demonstrates that there are some inherent, what we call scaling laws, that allow us to build a general model for really all of civilisation, such that people can put on a band and start using their brain directly.”
Patrick Kaifosh, director of research science at Meta Reality Labs, expects “the technology to go a great deal farther.” “What you’ve seen is these scaling curves continue as you get more people, more participants, data, it gets better and better,” he added, highlighting the potential for continuous improvement as more data becomes available.
Meta has released over 100 hours of muscle signal data from more than 300 participants, hoping to offer a blueprint to the broader scientific community “to create neuromotor interfaces of their own.” The company aims for the wristband to be usable by a wide spectrum of users, from individuals with disabilities to everyday users, potentially revolutionizing how people interact with technology in their daily lives.
