Latinitas Reports from SXSW 2017
I’ve always been fascinated by the most complex organ of the human body — the brain! Whether it’s the brain’s ability to control the body’s balance or its ability to interpret information, the brain’s complexity makes it so interesting to me. Tan Le’s Brain Wearables presentation at South by Southwest took my interest of the brain to a whole new level as she linked its functions with new technologies.
Le is the founder and CEO of EMOTIV, which developed a new brain-computer interface technology called the Insight that takes brainwaves and translates them into actions, allowing brain waves to be used to control devices. The EMOTIV Insight is certainly breaking barriers and changing the lives of those with physical disabilities. With this device, someone can complete simple tasks like typing or moving a wheelchair from left to right.
But now, Le and her pioneering team are going beyond the brain waves and working to translate thoughts and expressions to be used in various application areas. According to Le, this new technology will “allow a child to create a 3D monster just with the fantasy of his or her mind, or allow people to create music just with the power of their thought.”
Not only was it exciting to see a Vietnamese-Australian female entrepreneur present a groundbreaking technology, but I was also happy to see her desire to use it to change lives by detecting early signs of epilepsy, autism, and other neurological disorders. I can’t wait to see where Tan Le takes this to keep altering the lives of those who need it the most. Furthermore, I’d like to see how accessible and/or safe this can be to families or communities.
About the Writer
Briseida Diaz is the Program and Administrative Assistant at Latinitas. She is a St. Edward’s Alumna with a degree in Communications and has worked at Latinitas for over a year.
