Without the aid of equipment and the new concept of surgery, only the brain needs to receive ultrasonic waves.
This technology, which is still in the theoretical stage, aims to input ultrasonic waves into the brain with instruments, modify the working mode of nerve cells in specific parts of the brain, and make the brain produce various "sensory experiences" including taste and smell. The British science weekly "New Scientist" said that this patent, which is based only on theory rather than invention, marks the first step towards "the mother of real life".
In the science fiction movie The Matrix Revolutions, the virtual and the real enter people's brains through electrodes implanted behind their necks. In this patent, the technology will be completely non-invasive-it will not manipulate the brain with implanted devices or other operations. The patent has few details and only describes a device that can emit ultrasonic pulses to the head to change the excitation form of neurons in the target part of the brain.
The goal of this "concept patent" is to create a series of "sensory experiences" from moving images, smells to tastes.
New Scientist magazine said that their request to interview the inventor was rejected. The inventor's research base is located in an office in San Diego, USA, but Elizabeth Baukis, a spokeswoman for the company, said that their work was only a "prophetic invention" and no experiment had been conducted before to turn it into reality. In an interview with New Scientist, she said: "This patent is only based on an inspiration. Maybe one day, that technology will guide us. "
Independent experts point out that they do not deny that the patent is very creative or uncontrollable, but they also warn that this method may have long-term security risks. So far, the only non-invasive way to manipulate the brain is natural generation. Previously, a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation could stimulate brain cells by using magnetic fields to generate induced currents in brain tissues. However, the magnetic field cannot be accurately concentrated on small brain cells. On the contrary, ultrasonic pulses can achieve this goal. The existing mathematical formulas of taste transmission used to rely on sensors.
In fact, the idea of transmitting flavor through the internet has long existed, and other scientific research institutions are also exploring this aspect. Weizmann Institute in Israel is a world-renowned research institution, which often makes breakthroughs in science and technology. Two scientists in the institute have developed a mathematical formula that can convey taste. According to the method they developed, we can send "encrypted" information from one computer to another, and then these information can be transformed into fragrance that people can "feel" through sensors. Of course, this is only the result of two scientists controlling the sensor through a series of algorithms and mixing chemicals to make it emit fragrance.
These two scientists have been studying this for more than two years. The device they invented can convert fragrance information into chemical "fingerprints", which are actually composed of a set of numbers. After these digital messages are sent through the Internet, the recipients can mix the chemicals together through the patented "demodulator" they developed. The smell it emits will make people's brains have a "virtual reaction" and think that what they smell is what they should have.
The two scientists also plan to launch their own olfactory sensing device in the near future, which will contain several basic smells, just like a palette. Through the combination of these smells, almost everyone can smell all kinds of smells. The most difficult part of this study is how to transmit taste information synchronously. Through the computer screen, you can see the e-cards or other documents sent by the other party, but if both parties have cameras, how to convey the taste information in real time has become a difficult problem, but this problem is now close to being solved.
The two professors believe that the application prospect of this technology is quite broad. For example, when we watch cooking programs on TV, if we have the equipment developed by them, we can simultaneously smell the dishes cooked by the chefs, giving people a personal experience. Scent devices equipped with sachets have appeared, which can produce more than 60 different scents.
Telewest, a British broadband service provider, is also testing an odor generating device. This device will soon allow users to transmit the smell of their choice through the Internet. This teapot-sized device has 20 odor capsules built in, and it can produce more than 60 different odors by releasing the particles of one or more capsules. The computer equipped with this device can recognize the odor information carried by web pages or emails through software, and urge the device to release odor.