Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is already turning science-fiction concepts into everyday realities. But there are many different “mind control” approaches, with different goals and applications, and differing levels of invasiveness for the components that interact with the user’s brain.
IDTechEx, an independent research firm focusing on emerging tech and related markets, took a deeper dive into BCI and its potential implications in a September webinar — “BCI: Are Consumers Ready for Mind-Reading Technology?”
Many approaches to common goals
Ultimately, BCI is technology “which can interpret our thoughts and control our electronic devices,” IDTechEx said. “These brain-computer interfaces can measure and decode neural signals and translate them into intended actions or speech.”
The webinar serves as an introduction to BCI — including a review of current models with varying degrees of invasiveness — while summarizing potential BCI applications now and in the future.
Current noninvasive technology includes electroencephalography (EEG), which uses cortical neuron activity near the scalp and requires contact with the external surface of the head or needs to be inside an ear, the webinar said. Another noninvasive form of BCI is functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which uses near infrared light to measure changes in blood flow, and requires contact with the external surface of the head, “typically within a cap,” IDTechEx said.
One example of invasive BCI is electrocorticography (ECoG), which must be in contact with the brain, flat against its surface, and targets “local field potentials deep within the brain from large groups of neurons.”
Commercial applications include controlling wheelchairs, exoskeletons and prosthetics, in addition to controlling computers, smart phones and gaming consoles.
The webinar discussed how BCI could enhance assistive technology, making it easier to use, faster, more precise and less fatiguing to users — particularly, for example, for patients with cervical spinal cord injuries.
Predicting BCI’s future worth
Perhaps not surprisingly given the range of potential applications, there are already many companies working in the BCI space; the IDTechEx webinar listed more than two dozen. By 2024, IDTechEx’s research shows a BCI market forecast of more than $1.6 billion in 2045. And while current statistics show the BCI market being currently dominated by noninvasive technology tied to the research and medical fields, by 2045, IDTechEx predicted that the invasive assistive technology market will be the largest BCI segment.
Bottom line: IDTechEx’s webinar was an informative introduction to the BCI market, comprising current and future uses for BCI; the different ways the technology can work; and what sorts of BCI are expected to be adopted most quickly and widely. Fascinating and highly recommended
The free webinar is available to watch on-demand until March 25, 2025.
