I feel like the "killer app" is accessibility. There's so many disabilities (quadriplegia, SMA, amputations, stroke, ALS etc.) where having a BCI that lets you reliably control a wheelchair would be a godsend.
I always see futurology/inspiration porn articles about impressive demos of this stuff, when is it hitting the market? It doesn't have to be the next iPhone, it just has to let people control their mobility or communicate.
Accessibility gear needs to be robust, but a lot of the BCIs, especially the noninvasive ones, tend to be a bit janky. As a result, you can zip around in VR once the experienced lab tech sets you up, but maybe don’t have the DOF to control a real wheelchair or a system that disabled people can set up themselves. Some of this is probably just need some good systems engineering, but there are some legit technical challenges too.
I think this will start to change soon: there’s a lot of money flowing into neurotech and hopefully, some of it will end up with people who are more serious than hype-y. (If nothing else, I’d like a job :-))
maybe it doesn't have to be perfect, as long as there's some safeguards? like if you had some sort of collision radar or a way for the user to emergency stop (e.g. maybe a blink pattern), it might work well enough to give back some freedom.
I hope it changes too. I have a progressive disability and the lack of innovation/competition in assistive devices is starting to make me nervous as I start to need more.
I always see futurology/inspiration porn articles about impressive demos of this stuff, when is it hitting the market? It doesn't have to be the next iPhone, it just has to let people control their mobility or communicate.