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Playing Games With One's Brainwaves

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the controller-unnecessary dept.

PolloDiablo writes "Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have reported success with recording the signals a brain sends out to the other parts of the body and using them to play a game. The subjects had to move a cursor towards a target in a one-dimensional environment without using any bodypart, just pure brainpower. One subject had a success rate of 100%. This could prove a breakthrough in the use of prosthetics. The next step is repeating the same test in a 2-dimensional environment. Similar tests have been done with monkeys before but never with humans."

9 of 90 comments (clear)

  1. beware by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Make sure your developers aren't Russian, else you'll need to think in Russian to fire your weapons, and that'd suck.

    How do you say 'railgun' in Russian, anyway?

    1. Re:beware by wakejagr · · Score: 3, Funny
      why'd you go and mention Russia?

      now, the "In Soviet Union..." jokes will start. an article about using thoughts to control games makes this just too easy.

      then, some clever person will point out that Russia != Soviet Union, and will get moded funny.

      you've started something bad, my friend.

      --
      Don't save Windows XP! http://www.petitiononline.com/jjw1xp/petition.html
    2. Re:beware by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2, Funny

      >How do you say 'railgun' in Russian, anyway?

      elektromagnitnaya pushka

      --
      Conservatism: The fear that somewhere, somehow, someone you think is your inferior is being treated as your equal.
    3. Re:beware by Frizzle+Fry · · Score: 2, Funny
      How do you say 'railgun' in Russian, anyway?

      Actually, in Russian 'railgun' says YOU.
      --
      I'd rather be lucky than good.
  2. Demand for Standards by BadMrMojo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course, none of this will do us any good until developers finally adopt the 1DGSC recommendations (One Dimensional Gaming Standards Committee).

    As it is now, all those 1-D games that we all know and love each operate on an entire different API! In one game it's all Up and Down. In another it's North/South... or +/-. Madness, I say!

  3. Re:Great news for RSI suffering gamers! by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 3, Funny

    >so I can play Far Cry, Half Life 2, etc. without worrying about pain.

    I'm thinking that by the time you can control the game with brain waves, the game will send your brain pain signals when you get shot. No need to check a visual for your damage count, you'll feel it.
    --
    Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
  4. How Times Change by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    When I was a kid, adults used to say that you'd go blind if you kept playing with your brainwaves.

  5. similar experiments by kwoff · · Score: 2, Funny
    Similar tests have been done with monkeys before
    And guess how the sharks with frickin' laser beams on their head shoot those lasers.
  6. This game already exists.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The game of playing games with one's brainwaves already exists. It's called "Girlfriend". When you start playing the game, it's really easy and fun. Brainwaves, coupled with alcohol, help you cross the bar and talk a good game. They get you first the first few weeks of a relationship. Then they start asking questions like "Do you think she looks better than me?" or "Do I look fat?" and your brainwaves are likely to fail you. Hopefully they've got these limitations worked out in this new version.