Future-ready: Australian army tests mind-controlled combat AI … – Interesting Engineering

Australian Army
The Australian military is reportedly testing a unique artificial intelligence (AI) "brain robotic interface" to control "robodogs" synced with troopers' minds.
The breakthrough AI allows soldiers to control these robot dogs or 'robodogs' using advanced digital "telepathy," according to a video released by the Australian army last week. 
The army "is exploring the use of brain signals to control robotic and autonomous systems." reads the video description. 
"The Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation & Coordination Office (#RICO) is nested within our Future Land Warfare Branch and works closely with industry and stakeholders."
The AI analyzes brainwave data and transmits them from a person's visual cortex into the cutting-edge "robodog" using a high-tech biosensor headset.
"The whole process is not difficult to master. It's very intuitive. It only took a couple of sessions," according to Sergeant Damian Robinson of the 5th Combat Service Support Battalion, who tested the HoloLens headset.
During course training with mind-reading headsets and robodogs, Robinson and his fellow soldiers could effectively negotiate challenging terrain and inclement weather on a fake battlefield. 
"It's more of a visual concentration thing," said Sergeant Robinson.
"You don't have to think anything specific to operate the robot, but you do need to focus on that flicker."
Flickering beacons, perceived as augmented reality in the headsets, act as markers that the canine-like automatons march toward. These are currently the key to keeping the bots on course.
The team testing the novel brain robot interface gave a Vision 60 Ghost Robot commands "telepathically."
The technology is a hybrid system created with a HoloLens 2 headset that is readily available and a dedicated Raspberry Pi-based AI decoder.
Australian Army  
The specially created and programmed AI decoder intercepts brain waves and converts them into helpful directives that are then "telepathically" transmitted to the autonomous robot dog.
"The potential of the project is very broad," said Robinson. "At its core, it's translating brain waves into zeros and ones, and that can be implemented to a number of different systems."
These brain signals caused the Ghost Robot to move across an open field in the direction of a number of locations that the human controller "picked" by imagining them.
The canine robot and human soldiers cooperated to clear several buildings, and once more, the canine robots and their human partners were successful.
The researchers ran a second set of tasks after a series of successful tests in which the robot dog completely comprehended and carried out the directions.
Australian Army  
Researchers from the University of Technology, Sydney, the Defence Innovation Hub, and the Defence Science and Technology Group contributed to the collaborative project involving Future Land Warfare Branch, RICO.
"Together, we endeavor to transform the protection and efficiency of our defense forces in an increasingly accelerated environment that demands technological changes," further read the video description.
"Through this collaboration, we are testing the realm of possibilities that will ensure we are #FutureReady."
Distinguished Professor Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, from Northeastern University, claims human emotions and free will could be understood by utilizing neuroscience and psychology.

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