Imagine typing messages or controlling your laptop without touching a keyboard. A new startup says this could soon become real with just a beanie on your head. California-based startup Sabi, backed by early Vinod Khosla investor in OpenAI, is working on a wearable cap that can convert thoughts into text. But can such a device really work? A mind-reading cap instead of brain implants? For years, scientists have explored ways to connect the human brain directly with computers. Companies like Neuralink have already shown that it’s possible—but their technology requires surgery to place chips inside the brain. Sabi claims it is taking a different path Instead of implants, the company is building a beanie and even a basketball cap version that users simply wear on their heads. The idea is to make brain-computer technology easier and safer for everyday people. Sabi was co-founded by Rahul Chhabra, a graduate of BITS Pilani, Rajasthan. How does the beanie work? The device uses electroencephalography (EEG), a method that records electrical activity from the brain through sensors placed on the scalp. Normally, EEG signals become weaker because they must pass through skin and skull. To solve this problem, Sabi says its beanie includes 70,000 to 100,000 sensors. Most EEG systems today only use a few dozen to a few hundred sensors. According to Vinod Khosla, if billions of people are going to use brain-computer interfaces daily, the technology must be non-invasive and comfortable. What will you be able to do with it? Sabi says the beanie will allow users to turn thoughts directly into text on a screen. For example, you could write documents simply by thinking. The expected starting speed is about 30 words per minute. That’s slower than normal typing for many people, but the company believes performance will improve with regular use. For comparison, Neuralink users have already demonstrated playing games using only their thoughts. AI trained on thousands of hours of brain data To make this possible, Sabi is building a large AI model trained on 100,000 hours of brain data collected from 100 volunteers. The company also says user data from the device will remain private. When will it be available? Sabi plans to launch the beanie by the end of this year, though pricing has not been announced yet. Interested users can already join the waitlist through the company’s website.
