Using a BCI is a relatively new and unexplored field. As people get to understand better how it works, they are discovering more useful ways to employ the technology. One of the most attractive prospects is using it to control devices remotely. To date, there have been successful attempts at using BCI to control robots in hostile environments.
It is also helping us understand the detailed workings of the brain, mainly how biological neural networks function in real-time. BCI development can have many implications in artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial neural network research and development.
Researchers are also excited about the prospects of using BCI technology to improve the lives of people who have lost the use of their limbs. The late celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking was able to communicate his brilliant ideas by using a device that detected the movement of his cheeks and synthesized his speech. A BCI would have tapped directly into his brain and given him not just the ability to speak, but also to control prosthetic devices and computers.
Perhaps one of the most awaited developments is using brain-computer interfaces to control videogames. BCI technology promises to take virtual reality (VR) video gameplay to a whole new level for EEG-wired players.