Welcome back to Input Origins, where we rewind through the wild evolution of how humans talk to machines.
Today, we're jumping into territory that feels more like sci-fi than history. We all know about Neuralink. But what if we told you that a real brain-computer interface product launched decades ago - and barely anyone noticed?
(Andrew Junker Ph.D, president of Brain Actuated Technologies Inc. wearing the Cyberlink)
In the late 90's, a company called Brain Actuated Technologies Inc quietly released something incredible: probably the first-ever commercially available brain-computer interface. It wasn’t a chip in your skull or a camera on your face. It was called Cyberlink Brainfingers, and it let you control a computer... with your mind.
(The term Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) was coined in 1973 by computer scientist Jacques J. Vidal of UCLA, in his paper Toward Direct Brain-Computer Communication, from which the image above is taken)
Brain-Comptuer Interface?
A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is exactly what it sounds like: a direct communication pathway between your brain and a computer.
The roots trace back to 1924, when German neuroscientist Hans Berger recorded the first human brainwaves using electroencephalography, or EEG.
Fast forward to 1973, when UCLA’s Jacques Vidal officially coined the term “BCI,” envisioning a future where thought could become command.
Even artists got in on the action - Alvin Lucier famously used his brainwaves to control music in the 1970s, blurring the line between technology and expression. What once seemed like sci-fi was slowly becoming science.
(Michal McIntosh, a senior developer at Cyberlink, playing a video game using the Cyberlink band.)
The Cyberlink Headband - 1996
Imagine sitting at a computer, wearing a headband, and controlling everything with subtle shifts of facial tension and thought. That was the idea behind Cyberlink. Introduced in 1996 by Brain Actuated Technologies, it was likely the first commercially available brain-computer interface designed for real-world use.
The system used three electrodes embedded in a forehead-mounted headband to capture a combination of EMG, EOG (eye movement), and EEG signals in the theta, alpha, and beta brainwave bands. While control was driven primarily by muscular and ocular signals, it marked a critical step toward intent-based computing.
Cyberlink found early adoption in accessibility, but its legacy didn’t stop there. In 2008, the technology resurfaced in the form of the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA), a $300 consumer-grade device that let users play PC games without a mouse or joystick.
Together, these early systems offered more than a new input method - they revealed a future where machines don’t just detect our actions, but understand our intent. A future where thought itself becomes the interface.
(Guy Wagner, Mudra's CSO and the mind behind the technology, is playing a video game using a Mudra Band with intent-oriented controls. [video])
A Link to The Future of BCI - From Forehead to Wrist.
What began with headbands and facial tension has now moved to the wrist. Subtle, stylish, and seamlessly integrated into daily life. The Mudra Link builds on the foundation laid by pioneers like Cyberlink, but pushes the concept further with cutting-edge sEMG sensors.
Instead of focusing on facial muscles or eye movement, Mudra detects the neural signals that travel from your brain to your fingers, capturing intention at the source. With a flick, a pinch, or even the mere thought of a gesture, users can now control devices in a way that feels as natural as thought itself.
Mudra isn’t just inspired by BCI, it is a brain-computer interface. But unlike its predecessors, it’s discreet, wearable, and ready for the real world. And we’re only scratching the surface. This is just the beginning of a new era in human-computer interaction—where your intent becomes the interface.
We’re building much more. Future generations of Mudra will go even deeper, expanding what neural input can do, how we use it, and the very way we connect with technology. Stay tuned. The best is yet to come.
