Neural Interface for Gaming Getting Closer?

An anonymous reader writes "Mercury News is reporting that a neural interface for gaming may be in the not-so-distant future thanks to at least two start-ups developing this technology. From the article: 'The goal is to create game console add-ons costing less than $100. Some of the game play features can be conscious -- such as forcing someone to concentrate in order to drive a car faster or toss something at an enemy. Others can be subconscious. The game could slow down, for instance, if the sensors pick up an increase in anxiety, Lee said. The company hasn't set a timetable for the product launches of its customers.'"

Comments

Miracle of the Ages!

[Marko DeBeeste]

Called "Biofeedback" Been around since at least the fifties. See also "Polygraph"

Re:Someday soon ... like 2050

[SkyFire360]

Sad, but true

I'm working for a group that does ECoG (Electro-Cortocography), and even our resolution is too poor to accurately control things in more than two dimensions. A breakdown of the different resolutions of Brain-Computer-Interfacing is here. The problem with EEG is that the skull acts as a signal damper that disperses and blurs the electromagnetic waves created by the neurons. Though we can still detect the waves created, it becomes increasingly more difficult to discern what area of the brain created these waves, much less what neuron(s) did.

A breakdown of the different types of BCI currently being developed and researched:

• EEG - Electro-Encephalograph - Biggest advantage is that anyone can use it, as it can be worn like a helmet or a headband. Though because it is non-invasive, it has extremely poor resolution
• ECoG - Electro-Cortocography - Though it needs to be implanted inside the skull, it produces fairly good resolution. Also, because it only sits on top of the brain as opposed to inside gray matter, it has much less of a chance to form scar-tissue (though still greater than zero). Tough to get more than one dimension of control.
• Single Receptor - A microscopic electrode is placed directly in contact with a specific neuron or group of neurons. This allows researchers to directly measure the potential of one neuron firing. Of course, this requires the electrode to be implanted. This form of BCI is also very prone to scar-tissue buildup, causing the signal to become weaker and possibly lost as the body reacts to a foreign object in the brain.
• Light Reactive Imaging - Still very theoretical - A laser is trained on a single neuron and its reflectance is picked up by a separate sensor. When the neuron fires, the laser light pattern and wavelengths that are reflected change slightly. This allows researchers to monitor a single neuron while leaving the tissue "untouched", negating the issue of scar-tissue buildup. However, this technology is not able to penetrate the skull yet, as would be needed for external/non-invasive BCI

More information about BCI and ECoG can be found in a presentation from a WashU professor. Check pages 9-11 for some good slides

Re:Output?

[venicebeach]

Now how long will it be until this sort of input is reversed and a game will directly impact our physical body?

You mean like with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)?

But, really more to the point, every kind of "input" you interact with affects your physical body, i.e. your brain, in some fashion or another.

Reminds me The Journey to Wild Passage

[technoextreme]

This game relied on biofeedback sensors to preform certain activities. Aparently, the game is designed to help you meditate. I can imagine it being used in other games. Imagine a first person shooter where you have to remain calm and collected or else something bad will happen to the game.
http://www.stens-biofeedback.com/products/wild_div ine.htm

Already existed in 1984, as Atari Mindlink!

[cimmerian]

It already existed in 1984.. Well, it kind of did, this one actually worked off of your muscles in your head but it sure reminded me of the Atari Mindlink that was vapourware in 1984.

Picture: http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/260 0/mindlink.html
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Mindlink

From a researcher

[neuroking]

I work in a lab, ding brain-computer interface experiments in monkeys and patients. I can say that the ability to ocntrol a video game with a non-invasive technique is a LONG way off. Right now we can get relatively decent 2D control using EEGs but there ae two basic problems. 1) All cheap (and most expensive) EEG caps cost serious money and require conductive compound between electrodes and the scalp. The procedure just to put on a basic 64 channel cap takes about 20-30 minutes. 2) The current techniques use modulations of oscillations of thousands of cells in the cortex that can vary for a million different reasons, and outside a strictly controlled demo, the applications are limited. In order to do this 'stress response' type command in a game, you would need additional electrodes to do things like measure skin conductance, because on its own, the EEG signals would be indistinguishable from one of the dimensions of movement. It is more likely that if you got stressed, you would turn left more, or some such oddity. The richness of data from non-invasive techniques does not afford itself to precise control. it is that simple. (I was approached about 3 years ago to work on a brain interface for a console to debute with a game version of Ender's Game. They said they wanted it under $100. I told them to come back in 15 years.)