History Main / BrainComputerInterface

Sub-trope of UnusualUserInterface. See ElectronicTelepathy if it has wireless capability. Not to be confused with, though frequently used for, NeuralImplanting, which is where data or skills are inserted into a person's brain.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': In "[[Recap/FuturamaM1BendersBigScore Bender's Big Score]]", Hermes Conrad's disembodied head is hooked up to the network for the Earth's forces, allowing him to control the entire fleet in perfect coordination against the Scammer Aliens' defenses.

Actual physical jacks are rapidly approaching {{Zeerust}} status nowadays, though, as the heretofore insuperable complications of physical penetrations through the skin seem more and more like unnecessary risks in a world rapidly moving towards wireless solutions. When physical jacks are involved, however, they will be the tell-tale sign of an [[HollywoodHacking elite hacker]] or of certain specific professions, such as [[CyborgHelmsman starship pilot]].

* The movie ''Film/SleepDealer'' uses this frequently and most people work by controlling machines through brain-computer interfaces.

*** The show goes on to reveal that there are significant {{Power Limiter}}s in place to protect the pilot's brain, but this is seemingly dependent on the user; in one episode, Mikazuki's default settings for the Barbatos are so high that when another member of Tekkadan tries to pilot the machine, it overloads his brain and renders him temporarily comatose. [[spoiler:Three times during the series (versus the Graze Ein, versus the Hashmal, and during the final battle), Mikazuki [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique deliberately disables the limiters to get maximum performance out of the Barbatos]], which [[HeroicRROD results in his losing the use of parts of his body]] (his right eye and arm the first time, his right leg the second time), though when he's hooked into the system, they function just fine. In the last instance, he overclocks the system when he's already mortally wounded, meaning his Gundam seemingly keeps fighting for a few minutes before his enemies cut open the cockpit and realize that he's already dead.]]

* ''Anime/MartianSuccessorNadesico'' achieves this effect with {{Nanomachines}} allowing the pilot to interface directly with the mecha. These are also the control medium for larger military vehicles and a lot of civilian equipment in the Martian colonies. For once, there are no major downsides (it's the ''other'' nanomachines that you have to look out for), and it is in fact relatively easy to get the nanomachine injection if you're already in the military.