Stop and Scan:In this scenario the mind becomes a new site of interest for the state, requiring new protocols of ownership, access, protection and transparency. Police carry out random stop and search scans near crime scenes. Using a special scanner, people are shown images that only the criminal could know about. The device is based on brain fingerprinting technology where a scanner detects a characteristic electrical brainwave response whenever a person responds to a known stimulus. If the person being scanned appears to recognise an image, a light glows and they are taken away for further processing.

It was shown as part of Between Reality and the Impossible, Saint-Étienne International Design Biennale, 2010

Photography: Jason Evans
Electronics: Nick Williamson