James Pau and Dmitry Selitskiy work on Thought-Wired - one of 11 social enterprises in the the Akina Foundation' Launchpad six month incubation programme. Photo / Supplied
James Pau and Dmitry Selitskiy work on Thought-Wired - one of 11 social enterprises in the the Akina Foundation' Launchpad six month incubation programme. Photo / Supplied
Over the past few months we’ve given you a taste of the 11 social enterprise teams Akina Foundation has selected to help incubate though its latest programme – Launchpad. Now it’s time to talk to the teams.
This month Element readers decide on the 'People's Choice' from the 11 social enterprises in the Launchpad accelerator, thereby deciding who receives the $20,000 prize from Contact to help further their endeavours. Social enterprises are purpose-driven organisations that trade to deliver social or environmental impact. Click below to accessthe voting form, and click on each team's name to learn more. Vote here now
Thought-Wired
Rosie Bosworth:Keeping thing short and sharp, let's start by describing in two sentences or less what Thought- Wired is and does? Go!
Sarvnaz Taherian: Thought-Wired is a consumer brain-sensing technology company that strives to positively change the lives of people with disabilities with the help of brain-sensors. We are developing an assistive solution that only requires the power of thought (electrical activity of the brain from the surface of the scalp) to control electronic devices.
RB:All puns aside, tell us about the brains behind Thought-Wired. What does the team bring to the table?
ST: We are a team of three. Dmitry Selitskiy, the CEO and founder. Interested in everything tech, he has 6+ years experience in the IT industry including systems analysis, architecture and implementation, and project management. James Pau is our product development lead. He's recently finished a role as Research Fellow in the Mechatronics Engineering department at The University of Auckland. He has a PhD in mechanical engineering and his research interests are focused towards human and robot/ machine interaction and biosignal processing. I'm our research/usability lead. I'm a doctoral candidate and graduate teaching assistant in psychology at The University of Auckland and my research focuses on systems training and usability. I'm also a researcher for the New Zealand Cerebral Palsy Society and the Longitudinal Study of Aging.
RB:Tell us about the "aha" moment that brought Thought-Wired to Life: What set the ball rolling and inspired you to start up?
ST: Dmitry came up with the idea to start with after watching a TED talk online that showcased the brain- sensing technology we're now using. Dmitry immediately saw the opportunity for this technology to help his cousin, who has severe physical disabilities and is completely locked inside his body - unable to speak or interact with his family and environment. Dmitry thought that with brain-sensing technology, it would enable his cousin to transcend the physical limitations of his body and communicate with his loved ones.
RB:What gap does Thought-Wired fill?
ST: Dmitry (CEO) founded Thought-Wired with the vision of making the world accessible to people with complex and severe physical impairments. While some models such as eye-gazing and muscle reading devices have been in the market for years they all require some form of physical capability. Using Thought-Wired, anyone, regardless of their physical abilities, can communicate and gain some form of independence.
RB:In a perfect world describe what society will look like 10 years from now because of Thought-Wired's involvement?
ST: We are hoping to have a multi-level impact upon society - where people with physical disabilities will be included within society, have more autonomy, quality of life and freedom of expression. Their families will be able to return to work, have more quality of life and less emotional and financial stress. Economically, we will be better off, as more independence means less financial/care needs on the government.
RB:Do you see TW evolving into something bigger? Extending into additional areas/ verticals etc?
ST: In additional to our current focus we are exploring the use of this technology to teach the general public about their brain and behaviour, and access ways to improve their brain function. The future is definitely bright and fruitul for this type of technology, and we can all benefit from fitter, healthier minds. Thought-Wired is also developing Xi (pronounced "zai") - a platform and a set of tools for developers, professionals and makers to enable them to leverage the power of brain-sensing devices and other natural interface technology.
