Facebook has bought a start-up that wants to control devices with thoughts. The company Ctrl-Labs uses a bracelet that can detect the neuronal signals on the way to the muscles and convert them into commands for the computer. That way, for example, sharing a photo with a friend would be the only thought, Facebook CEO Andrew Bosworth said on the night of Tuesday's announcement of the acquisition.
Bosworth called no purchase price. The financial service Bloomberg wrote, citing informed persons, Facebook pay between 500 million and one billion dollars.
Implants in the head not practicable
The interest of Facebook in such technology has been known for some time. Already in the spring of 2017, Regina Dugan, head of the Facebook research laboratory at the time, talked about thoughts of having people write words directly from their brains into the computer. This would make it possible, for example, to send a text message to a friend, without having to get out the smartphone, it was then.
The idea was to use sensors on the head because implants were not practical. Meanwhile, among other things, a company of the tech billionaire and Tesla chief Elon Musk is working to develop a substance that can be connected to neuronal tissue.