Stephen Hawking testing a device that could translate his thoughts into speech
Professor Stephen Hawking, who suffers from a motor neurone disease that has left him almost completely paralysed, is testing a device that could allow him to speak by reading his thoughts.
The device, called iBrain, was developed by Dr Philip Low, CEO of Neurovigil — a company dedicated to creating technology to aid with the treatment of many diseases.
According to the company, the iBrain is a miniature electronics box connected to a flexible light head harness and electrodes.
The iBrain, which was originally designed to monitor the brain during sleep, can record thoughts, which could help Hawking 'speak again', the Daily Mail reports.
Currently, Hawking communicates through an infrared scanner that senses small cheek movements and translates them into speech.
But as his disease progresses, the famous theoretical physicist is losing even the ability to move those muscles.
Potentially, the iBrain could record Hawking's thought patterns and translate them as letters and words.
