Apple has filed a patent application with the USPTO that would allow its in-ear headphones, the AirPods, to measure neuroelectric activity in the brain.
Apple is known to be a leader in health and technology. We frequently relay in our columns the way in which the Apple Watch saves the life of their owner, by reporting an anomaly in the heart rhythm. It seems that Apple does not intend to stop there. The Cupertino company wants to extend its hold in the field of health. To do this, she is developing a brain rhythm measurement technology implemented directly in the AirPods.
To do this, the company would have tiny electrodes all over the AirPods. “Biosignals measured by the wearable electronic device may include electroencephalography (EEG). In other modes, the measured biosignals could be electromyogram (EMG), electrooculography (EOG), electrocardiogram (ECG), galvanic skin response (GSR)a blood volume pulse (BVP)”.
Apple wants to make AirPods listen to your brain activity
So many scientific terms are certainly incomprehensible to ordinary mortals, but what can be learned from this patent is that users will be able with a simple gesture, by tapping on the earpiece, start recording their brain activity. For what purposes? Apple didn’t specify in its request, but one can imagine that the company already has application ideas in mind. One could imagine that AirPods will scan your brain activity while you sleepto detect arrhythmias or to allow scientists to carry out large-scale studies.
Remember that although the company files a patent application, nothing says that it will end up implementing the invention in one of its products. Beyond its feasibility in technical terms, the brain activity reader in AirPods also poses some ethical and legal issues. On this point, it is not certain that the countries most concerned about the confidentiality of personal data authorize Apple to exploit a technology which affects as much intimacy as this one.
Source: PhoneArena