"Luke Skywalker" Binoculars Use Brain Waves To Spot Threats

By Katie Drummond,

Five years after the Pentagon first conceived of them, the binoculars of the future have arrived: Scopes that not only allow soldiers to scan wide-ranging areas and lengthy distances, but that tap into their brains to vastly improve threat-detection.

Called the Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System (CT2WS), the initiative was first launched in 2007 by — not surprisingly — DARPA. Today, the agency announced the results of field tests using the futuristic system, which was nicknamed “Luke Skywalker” early on in the program. According to DARPA, the binoculars yielded a 91 percent success rate in detecting threats. By comparison, soldiers using conventional binoculars or camera systems currently miss around 47 percent of potential dangers.

The system is comprised of a high-powered video camera, mounted to a tripod, that boasts a 120-degree field of vision. That camera works in tandem with an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap, worn on a soldier’s head, that actually monitors brain signals in real-time and then transmits them to a computer system. That system is programmed with “cognitive visual processing algorithms” that can crunch the deluge of brainwave data, and “cue” noteworthy images for an operator to look over.

Using the system, a soldier scanning a given region would be “shown approximately ten images per second, on average.” Instead of having to process potential threats oneself, the soldier (and an operator reviewing key images) would instead rely on subtle brain signals — picked up by the EEG cap — to hone in on hazards. The EEG data, according to DARPA, can enhance accuracy and hasten the rate at which threats are detected, by spotting theminside the brain before a soldier has even processed the situation.

“CT2WS built on the concept that humans are inherently adept at detecting the unusual,” reads a statement from DARPA. “Even though a person may not be consciously aware of movement or of unexpected appearance, the brain detects it and triggers the P-300 brainwave, a brain signal that is thought to be involved in stimulus evaluation or categorization.”

In other words, CT2WS harnesses that capacity for detection, without relying on conscious input from the wearer. And, at least according to these field tests, it seems to work extremely well when combined with human input. When tested without someone wearing an EEG cap, the system produced 810 false alarms every hour. Add a soldier decked out in EEG sensors to the mix, and that figure dropped to five false positives.

I’ve reached out to DARPA for more particulars on the prototype, which was developed by a team that includes HRL Laboratories and the University of California, San Diego. But based on reporting from Sharon Weinberger at Wired in 2007, the agency also wanted the binoculars to have a range from 1,000 to 10,000 meters, and be able to spy moving vehicles at a range of up to 6 miles.

Via: "Forbes Magazine"