The system is a full EEG, and also monitors emotional state and facial expressions. There are already a several users working on lucid dreaming – using the EPOC to pick up the dream state and then pushing stimuli (sounds and flashing lights) to the user so they know they are in the dream state and can take control.

What you describe as a statistical database of ‘pull’ brainwaves in the world is exactly what Walter Benjamin sought to achieve with his ideas on translation. He had a metaphysical concept of words (signifiers) and objects/notions (the signified). It’s been quite a while since I thought about that – I’m glad for the opportunity to ponder potential future manifestations of his vision.

The idea of using pre-defined brainwave patterns (brain) for tasks is much like assigning mouse-gestures (hand) or voice-commands (voice). It wouldn’t matter if a user mapped “monkey doing the salsa” thoughwave to “pull”. Even if the user visualized a monkey doing the salsa, the cube would pull.

This differs from the technologies where, when you think of ‘pull’, the ‘content’ of the brainwave is interpreted, as opposed to the pattern. Is that possible? Given all the languages & interpretations of ‘pull’, can that even be done? Maybe, with a statistical database of ‘pull’ brainwaves in the world! But still, that would be like a voice-recog. software listening to ‘what’ you are saying as opposed to ‘how’ you are saying something.

And the colors thing, did the headset ’see’ what color the user is thinking of? Or are colors mapped to wave patterns too? Means I still can’t show the world my concept-art?!

Principles and strategies for practitioners designing universally usable sites

The goal of universal usability is to enable the widest range of users to benefit from web services. These links contains recommendations and information resources for web developers who wish to accommodate users with slow modems, small screens, text-only, and wireless devices. It deals with content design issues such as translation to other languages, plus access for novice, low educated and low motivated users, children and elders. The website also covers design guidance for blind, deaf, cognitively impaired, and physically disabled users. Each article has practical guidelines, web site examples, links to organizations, and a bibliography.

Users with Disabilities

• Blind and low vision users
• Color vision confusion
• Cognitively disabled
• Deaf & hearing impaired
• Mobility impaired

Special User Groups

• Children
• Elderly
• Users with low education, low motivation
• Users of other languages than English
• Users from other cultures than the US
• Cross language information retrieval

Technology

• Users with slow connections
• Users with screens less than 640 x 480
• Telephone based access to the web (WAP)
• Telephone based access to the web (speech recognition)
• Textual equivalents for audio/video representations of content

Tutorial methods

• Designs to help novice web users
• Online help design, email help methods and customer service guidelines

The information is a class project for Human Factors in Computer and Information Systems (Computer Science 838S) ( Spring of 2001). It is a continuation of the UUGuide project started by graduate students in the Spring 2000 class. The courses were led by Prof. Ben Shneiderman Founding Director of the University of Maryland Human-Computer Interaction Lab.