We have mentioned a number of experiements different companies are working on in order to completely replace passwords with a better authorization method so that users don’t have to remember and type in passwords hundreds of their online profiles and internet based services.
Now researchers from the UC Berkeley School of Information are working on ways to develop and implement a system through which users could enter a password by just thinking about it without the need of entering it using a keyboard. The system these researchers are working on will use the brainwaves to authenticate users and allow them access. For this purpose researchers have created a consumer friendly brainwave reading headset called the Neurosky MindSet, which will be available for $100.
Reading brainwave to give access to the user of anything is one thing but Professor John Chuang says that it is possible to identify a person uniquely by concentrating on his or her breath.
The brainwave which are known as Electroencephalograms (EEG) in technical terms measure the electrical activity along the user’s scalp. Scientists can study the wave lenghts that vary according to the moods and mental states. Using this data they can authenticate or deny any service to the user. While scientists are currently working on password replacements a similar system could be useful in home devices that could allow users to have mind-controlled gadgets around them.