NIA Brain-Computer Interface, Mind-Control Gaming

MojoKid writes "Sunnyvale-based manufacturer OCZ Technology has laid claim to being the first to bring a 'brain-computer' interface to the retail market and they have aimed it squarely at the gamer. The device is called the NIA, which is an acronym that stands for Neural Impulse Actuator. Instead of buttons, sticks, gyroscopes or motion sensors, it reads the body's natural bio-signals and translates them into commands that can be used to control PC games. This evaluation of the NIA shows the product actually works as advertised, with a little practice. It can, in some cases, offer reaction times superior to standard controllers, based on faster trigger response time, and the difference is quite noticeable and immediate."

Comments

Sounds familiar

[everynerd]

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/27/2343259

Dupe? Tripe? Havent I heard this several times now

[Tmack]

Like here and here and here? Maybe this brain scan thing is picking up echos and posting them to /.

tm

Re:is this realy a "brain interface"

[ThePeices]

well if you RTFA you would have seen that it can read those signals, the reviewers just didnt master them enough within the time they had the unit for.

Re:is this realy a "brain interface"

[ZosX]

I didn't RTFA, but I did read another FA about it and it seems that it does simply just pick up electrical impulses directed to the muscles. For instance looking away with your eyes will cause a reaction on the game, in this case turning or whatever. You also have to use your jaw muscles. No talking. No eating. No drinking. One article was from someone that used the device for a while and their conclusion was that the limitations outweighed its effectiveness. This is not simply about moving a character onscreen by thinking about it moving. You have to actually train yourself to use this thing. We are still quite some distance from the reality of controlling computers simply by thinking about them.