This AI neck band lets you have ‘silent conversations’ without saying anything — South Korean researchers say camera-equipped wearable uses a ‘movement map’ on the neck to restore ‘lost voices’ with surprising accuracy

• AI is being used to turn neck movements into words
• It’s the work of researchers from South Korea
• The system could eventually be used for ‘silent conversations’

One of the many talents offered by AI systems is advanced pattern recognition, and researchers from the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea have put this to good use by developing a wearable neck band that translates muscle and skin movements into speech.

As outlined by the researchers (via New Atlas), the device is intended to restore “lost voices” — to give the power of speech back to those who are unable to talk normally. A small camera is used to track a “movement map” on the neck when the wearer intends to say something, with no vocalizations required.