‘Psychic' algorithm can predict actions

Bioengineers announced Wednesday that they have created a computer algorithm that accurately senses a person's intention, a breakthrough that could be utilized in industries ranging from automobiles to medicine. Using the algorithm, future software could bring a car back onto course if it slips on ice and the driver swerves. It could also help guide a prosthetic arm to help a shaking stroke patient smoothly lift a glass of water, according to its creators.

Researchers developed the "psychic robot" program at the University of Illinois at Chicago and published their findings in the journal PLOS ONE. The algorithm works similarly to how the brain uses the five senses to interact with the everyday world. "Say you're reaching for a piece of paper and your hand is bumped mid-reach, your eyes take time to adjust; your nerves take time to process what has happened; your brain takes time to process what has happened and even more time to get a new signal to your hand," said Justin Horowitz, lead author of the study, in a statement. "So, when something unexpected happens, the signal going to your hand can't change for at least a tenth of a second - if it changes at all." By studying how people react when they are interrupted, the designers were able to build the algorithm to estimate what the brain wants to accomplish even if the body fails because it is halted by a physical impediment like ice on a road or an internal issue like severe muscle spasms. The project is still in its early stages, and the developers have not announced when they think the software could be widely available; however, current computers process external stimuli faster than the nervous system, so this algorithm could make life in the future safer and more comfortable. "We call it a ‘psychic' robot," Horowitz continued. "If you know how someone is moving and what the disturbance is, you can tell the underlying intent."