Mind Control Headset is Almost Here
San Francisco based Emotiv Systems has developed nifty new gadget due to hit shelves just in time for the holiday season this year. The Emotiv EPOC is a space aged looking neuroheadset designed specifically for gamers. “We’ve created a brain computer interface that reads electrical impulses in the brain and translates them into commands that a videogame can accept [in order to] control the game dynamically,” said Emotiv co-founder Tan Le “It allows the user to manipulate a game or virtual environment naturally and intuitively.” This compact devise, featuring 16 sensors that use electroencephalography to measure electrical activity in the brain, measures the users’ facial expressions and moods and correlates that data into a “thought” that in turn translates to the character on screen.
Retailing in the US for $299, the EPOC will ship with a martial arts fantasy video game in which a “master” teaches players to do things like lift mountains and spin rocks using their minds. Emotiv also offers a software development kit that will allow third party developers to insert this technology into their projects.
While similar devises do exist for other applications, this is the first time this technology have been specifically developed for the video game market.