Apple AirPods to Soon Read Brain Waves

Brain Mapping Features Coming To AirPods!

Apple is currently working hard to change the way you use your AirPods in the future. It is actively invested in transforming your AirPods into a potential health and wellness tool with features like the ability to use AirPods as hearing aids. And now it seems like the Cupertino tech giant has bagged a patent grant that will allow it to map your brain signals! Check out the specifics below.

Granting of the Patent

The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple the liberty to craft AirPods that will be able to read biosignals emitted by your body. This will be achieved via the scattering of tiny electrodes throughout the earbuds, which will facilitate biosignal tracking. In addition to this, these AirPods will also contain active and reference electrodes that will be customizable based on an individual’s ear.

Biosignal tracking feature patent — Source: USPTO

Electroencephalography (EEG) and More

These electrodes will be present in both wired and wireless earphones from Apple. The primary use of these electrodes will be in the form of electroencephalography (EEG). The patent also reveals that the lowermost section of the stem can contain an electrode that the user can easily press to trigger to start an EEG session and other related measurement activities like electromyography (EMG), electrooculography (EOG), electrocardiogram (ECG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and blood volume pulse (BVP) measurement.

With that being said, this is still a patent and the translation to an actual product is not plausible anytime soon. This means that although we can bank on Apple to introduce health-based features to its AirPods, this specific facility is still far away from active reality. Looking at the pace of technological advancements, very soon, your AirPods will be much more than just a simple TWS device.

We will keep you posted as more concrete details emerge. In the meanwhile, take this development with its necessary hint of mixed optimism and skepticism and comment down your thoughts regarding this below.

Featured Image courtesy: USPTO