Future ICTs for Active Ageing: Brain-machine and Brain-computer Interfaces

This chapter aims to exemplify the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the case of brain-machine (BMI) and brain-computer (BCI) interfaces. Applications at the crossroads of ICT and cognitive science have been identified as one of the most promising application areas of the future by both the US National Science Foundation and by the European Commission. Both R&D funding agencies consider that the cross-fertilisation between information and communication technologies and cognitive sciences becomes a co-evolutionary process, where progress in one area accelerates progress in the other. Applications arising from this co-evolutionary process hold the promise of a large economic benefit. Recent bibliometric research does confirm these findings and pinpoint BMI/BCI as particularly impacting to society and economy. Generally speaking, however, the prospects of technologies with a long-term time horizon of a couple of decades are seldom discussed in the frame of active ageing. Brain-machine (BMI) and brain-computer (BCI) interfaces are no exception. However, discussing the potential challenges, opportunities and risks of emerging technologies and relating them to active ageing polices in a quite early stage of innovation can be a useful exercise in order to achieve a sustainable innovation process.

COMPANO Ramon; 

2009-03-26

IOS Press

JRC49747

978-1-58603-937-0,   

1383-813X,   

http://www.iospress.nl/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC49747,   

10.3233/978-1-58603-937-0-235,