Daydreaming on the Job? This Brain-Wave-Reading Helmet Knows [VIDEO]

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A new helmet can monitor pilots' brain waves to see if they are paying attention to flying -- or if they're daydreaming instead.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego put compact EEG brain scanning technology into a regular pilot's helmet. It's not a mind-reading device, but researchers can get a peek into brain activity.

Once the brain waves are read, the stats are sent to a tablet using Bluetooth technology. The brain wave feedback is processed and analyzed to figure out which parts of the brain are being engaged --- and if a pilot is distracted or tired.

Worried that this technology appears a little too "big brother"? The researchers that created the helmet say the device can only monitor brain waves -- not thoughts.

The head gear could be used to do much more than monitor pilots. These brain-wave-reading helmets could give researchers insight into autism, epilepsy, paralysis and fatigue.

Researchers and scientists around the world have been tinkering with the idea of mind-controlled technology for a variety of purposes. (Remember that mind controlled ball game that was popular a couple holiday seasons ago?) What was once a fantasy --- controlling objects with your mind --- is now a realistic goal for the near future. The implications for such a technology could give people with disabilities a newfound freedom.

What do you think about this technology? Does the potential good it could be used for outweigh the dangers of developing such a technology? Tell us in the comments.