Neuro VR: watching the musician’s brain with Oculus Rift

Photo: Kite & Lightning

Genral Electric (GE) engineers have developed a technology for visualizing the functioning of the human brain. With the help of a certain system, tied to virtual reality and Oculus Rift, the observer can see which parts of the brain and individual nodes are currently busy with work. According to the developers, the system is interactive, with its help complex data streams are visualized that are optimally viewed in this form.

However, the system is not entertaining. With its help, a neurosurgeon can get a detailed idea of ​​the work of the most invisible brain elements, and understand how a particular part of the brain will affect the current operation. Of course, neurosurgeons have a good idea of ​​such things, but why not improve their knowledge, right?



Despite the fact that the human brain has been studied for decades, there is simply no exact understanding of the principle of operation of the entire system. Now the understanding of the work of the brain by specialists is about 50 years behind the understanding of the work of any other systems of the human body, says Corey Strassburger, one of the creators of the video system in question. Corey believes that the situation is gradually changing: "The hidden beauty of this big secret is only beginning to appear, and I think that virtual reality will play an important role both in terms of science and education."


Photo: Kite & Lightning

In order to make sure that the visual effects corresponded to the real work of brain elements, the project team used data sets from a magnetic resonance imager. Mapping the work of individual parts of the brain using a magnetic resonance imaging scanner took about 45 minutes. Typically, data from a magnetic resonance imager are superimposed on 2D images (ordinary photographs), but in this case a three-dimensional system, Oculus Rift video glasses, was used. This is a bit of a holodeck from Star Trek when the head system is controlled by the software system. Figuratively speaking, turning your head, you can see any part of the volunteer's brain and the working elements involved at the moment.