Meta’s new tools for metaverse

Recently Meta decided to crawl into our personal space even more, though. 

The company submitted two patents for devices that can read neural and muscle signals from your body and apply them for running the metaverse. 

The first patent is for “in-ear electroencephalography signal verification.” This system consists of an in-ear device containing an electrode that is “configured to be in contact with an inner surface of the ear canal,” a speaker that produces a “calibration audio signal,” and a controller that generates “neural signal data” depending on the electrode impulses.  

The neural signals correlate with the user’s brain functions in reaction to the specified audio feature. Finally, depending on the brain signal data, an action is initiated.  Some actions include boosting an audible perception via assisting in processing sound in noisy surroundings or recognizing whom a user gives their attention to. 

Meta also highlighted that creating reliable electric impulses through the ear can reflect not just brain activity, but also activity from other parts of the consumer’s anatomy such as vision and heartbeat.

In addition, Meta plans to license a system for “neuromuscular-signal-based detection” of in-air hand movements. These gestures let users to create and change text in virtual reality environment.  

This method includes gathering data from muscular signal sensing devices that are connected to a headset or smart glasses, which detect hand actions performed by the user corresponding with “target terms” for text modifications. The actual text alteration is subsequently performed via voice input. 

Meta’s patent output also demonstrates that the company is focused on creating an open ecosystem of products, such as headsets, smart glasses and smartwatches that can function together, connect with any device and make it possible for easy development.

At the same time these patents reflect a current technological trend: tech companies are pushing the limits of how close they can get to customers’ personal space, aren’t they? Although these patents at first glance may look and sound pretty futuristic and helpful, for now they’re just sinister and can easily violate one’s private life due to the lack of actual legislative framework.