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Brain-Control Gaming Headset Launching Dec. 21
An anonymous reader writes "Controlling computers with our minds may sound like science fiction, but one Australian company claims to be able to let you do just that. The Emotiv device has been garnering attention at trade shows and conferences for several years, and now the company says it is set to launch the Emotiv EPOC headset on December 21. PC Authority spoke to co-founder Nam Do about the Emotiv technology and its potential as a mainstream gaming interface."
One wonders what kind of adoption they expect with a $299 price tag.
Does it work with Linux?
Given the little knowledge I have of neural network functioning, I would assume that using this gizmo can change your brain wiring in previously unknown ways. of course, any learning does it, too, but this is the first time you bypass the normal I/O mechanisms of the brain (a.k.a. senses and muscles). So, I'll just wait and see while more courageous guys will try it.
Looks like it actually is approaching a reasonable number of electrodes, unlike other the bunch of other 'brain control' devices (a pair of electrodes on your forehead does not an effective EEG make). Still too few for any sort of fine control, but you might just be able to get 2d bang-bang direction control going with a large amount of practice.
Of course, if it costs something ridiculous, then it's probably easier to make your own.
Back when I had regular EEGs a technician would spend about ten minutes squeezing conductive cream onto my scalp before clipping the electrodes on. If you don't use a conductive liquid your signal is going to have to pass through your hair, which doesn't sound good for their N/N ratio. So what's it going to be? Shaved heads or washing your hair after gaming?
http://michaelsmith.id.au
This is not new, just recently there was the Nia
Isn't there already NIA from OCZ? How is this different?
It will be very interesting to see how this works out. It tested the last "Brain Control Device" (i think it was from a german company) at the Games Convention 2008 and was very surprised to see it working...with some learning of course.
After watching the video, a very specific quotation comes to mind.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo.
- Andy Finkel
If you look at the hardware itself, there is a gyroscope attached. Hence, when the fat white guy wants to lift the stone, he leans his head back. I suppose you are to watch him wave his hands, but the real action is going on literally on his head.
Now if someone could build an iPhone app that can do this, we'd have all the same functionality at an even higher price!
"If you look at the hardware itself, there is a gyroscope attached. Hence,"
Where oh where is the gyroscope? You can't fit one in that little red box.
Perhaps you are talking about ACCELEROMETERS? Besides, I see very little correlation between head movement and stuff happening on the screen.
And I just love it how you draw a completely spurious conclusion and then use the word "Hence" to use that bogosity to justify further bogosity.
Really you should try to get some sleep. It's pretty clear that your mental faculties are deprived.
By which I mean that purchasers won't have time to find out that it's a useless POS trinket until it's too late to return it. Nice.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
Controlling computers with our minds may sound like science fiction, but one Australian company claims to be able to let you do just that.
Am I missing something here? OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator, a similar product, has been out since for about a year.
It may be 7 digits, but at least it's a semiprime
i can imagine using that as a complementary device.
playing an RPG (normal interaction via keyboard/mouse) and casting spells by thinking about fire would surely help the immersion. Getting better in imagining stuff for the spells could fit nicely into the skill progression of the character.
but such devices never get such cool usage. they get some waggle/natal/eyetoy shovelware and stop being interesting as the novelty wears off.
It doesn't matter if it costs $300. I'm sure they'll be able to find people willing to pay that much as long as it's not complete garbage.
I mean, if you look at amBX, it's basically a bunch of glowy LED lights and a speaker system, and it runs in about the same price range.
but such devices never get such cool usage. they get some waggle/natal/eyetoy shovelware and stop being interesting as the novelty wears off
...until you lift that coffee mug, and your hands happen to be on the keyboard.
WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
How about BrainCoding? Anyone interested in writing code with your brain?
.. over here. Pick me Pick me
Oh
mov ax,4c00h
int 21h
$299 is not a high price tag. I clearly remember any gaming console experience I wanted to try was *always* around the ~$300 pricetag, from the last two decades of even recently (Xbox360, PS3, Wii, etc.). The main points in any survival and success of a gaming system is: 1) NOT being a hyped up, terrible design and cumbersome usability, 2) It's unique and starts a mad, new and wild gaming experience that everyone wants to try (a la Guitar Hero/Rockband) because point #1 lived up to it's purpose.
Of course. Since it's gaming device, Linux enthusiast are their main market.
Actually, they are also targeted neuro- and psycho- scientist who might be interested in such a mass marketed, dead-cheap(*), over-simplified EEG.
The company provides SDK, which are also usable on Linux.
It's the exact same situation as with GPU, which are both consumer mass product for playing games (OpenGL & DX) *and* are interesting to scientist looking for cheap of-the-shelf parts (for OpenCL and CUDA).
(*) : The *device itself* is cheap. In order to unlock full access to all the data and let the scientist play with what they want, the free-as-in-beer SDK isn't enough and they have to pay for research SDK.
But still, the whole stuff isn't as expensive as medical-grade EEG installations.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
Right now, it's a squid from Strange Days, which won't have as happy connotations for everyone as a StarTrek communicator.
Should be brain-controlled
is Yuri's favorite toy!
The $299 only gets you the headset, not the computer or the console which it's intended to be attached. Think of buying something like a Guitar Hero guitar or a Wiimote at that price point, rather than a PlayStation or a Wii.
This isn't actually off-topic, though it's not all that funny either. While I haven't seen the Spongebob movie, the other two both focus on high technology that integrates with the brain and is used for bad purposes. I assume the Spongebob movie has a similar plot device, though I suppose it's possible that the inventors have small children that watch the damn thing way too often and therefore hate it for other reasons. ;-)
$_ = "wftedskaebjgdpjgidbsmnjgcdwatb"; tr/a-z/oh, turtleneck Phrase Jar!/; print
I'm a bit surprised (or maybe not) that the focus of the discussions has been on the gaming aspect of the device. I know it's not perfect, there are a lot of bugs to work out, and it's been around for a while, but I can see tremendous application and potential for this technology. This could provide quadriplegics with access to software, allow another interaction pathway for those with their hands occupied on critical tasks (pilots, surgeons, police).
I wonder how much the hand gestures were required to move the objects? I'm sure it's a way to "cognitively prime the pump" at this point, but could it be done without the gestures? Or could someone learn to do it without them?
"Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish"
Albert Einstein
...it would probably automatically zoom to 3rd person, remove all armor/clothing, and hold at just the right angle for fapovision for all the guys playing night elf/bloood elf females.
1331461 is only semiprime *sigh* Alas - I am just short of 1337.
The first one is an utter fail, leading to moments of awkward silence during the official presentation.
The second one shows a guy performing simple taks: Moving a block into a certain direction. He does so not without making use of appropriate gestures: He either pushes imaginary obstacles away with his hand, lifts them up, or rotates them by circling his finger (block starts moving after 5 seconds or so)...
The system surely has potential. As of now, however, you can obviously pull off but a few simple stunts with high latency. The device is a gimmick, with a high-end price tag. A lot needs to be done in terms of calibration and fine-tuning to the specific user, which is probably possible; some day. The december release is a joke.
If you're already going to be wearing a funny headset, why not combine it with Johnny Lee Chung's head tracking technology and make the ULTIMATE gaming device (assuming the tech works...)
I wonder why he hasn't got anything like this yet. He's probably not into gaming, but it might help comunicating ;)
Batman Forever
Also apt: "Movies that the viewers don't want to talk about"
I looked at their website regarding license and price. If you want to have access to raw EEG, it would cost you $7000.
My wife already makes fun of me when I wear a headset....can't imagine what she would say if I wore this...
This is clear because it's scientifically useless until they're willing to supply raw data through the SDK. All it provides is their proprietary interpretation of the signals.
The FREE ( 0$ ) SDK provides only already-interpreted data - which is good enough for indie game developpers (They want an input device, not a complexe EEG machine. Give them inputs, not raw data. They just want a mouse replacement for games, they don't want to have to learn a neuro-psychiatrist's worth of neuro-physiology just to have "hands-free clicking").
The PAID Research Plus ( $2400 ) SDK provides full access to RAW data (so scientist can do whatever they want in addition to the default "convert signal into input trigger" behaviour of the free SDK. They wan't to analyse brain function, not merely have a thought-controlled glorified mouse button).
Emotiv are pursuing both market, although not at the same price point for the corresponding SDK ($0 to $500 for pre-processed data, $2500 for full raw data), because they hope interested research institutions have deeper pockets as small indie game developers.
If it gets popular enough, you can expect to see Linux USB support for RAW data very soon from research/developers disgruntled by their department budget allocation.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
The ocz nia was the big thing last year with similar hardware (one less front sensor if i remember..): , and I tried it out in Call of Duty 4...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPfYDCNoy1c
The problem with them I found over time was that the calibration, or setup time was too long. It could take 5-10 minutes to get your mind for a lack of a better word, going well enough to get a good consistent enough reading. And the more commands you have mapped to your brainwaves, the harder you have to focus too - after 4-5 commands worth, you really need to focus a lot.
Good to see how their driver software goes - OCZ's software was excellent, although because it is wired, it has the problem of not being grounded properly.
We don't have the clarity or resolution to come anywhere close to surreptitiously scanning brains, however. Hell, we don't even know how the brain works beyond a rudimentary "this area does this, that area does that" level. These devices look for specific patterns related to very active thought processes. It also probably takes a good while to train them to pick up what you want them to pick up.
There are also... power issues.
PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
"This area does this, this area does that" is pretty outdated. Researchers these days are focused more on interactions between regions, timing, etc. The problem with the old approach is that we start applying our human words ("Is this episodic memory here, or is that semantic memory?") to processes invented by mother nature that will not regularly fit into our definitions. In general, we are getting a better idea of how the brain works, but it isn't shedding as much light as we would like on how the mind works.
There is more to science than physics!
www.iomalfunction.blogspot.com
It seems like the frustrating lag between thinking it and being able to "type" it out with less and less mobility would be greatly reduced with something like this. I think it's a *huge* contribution on the part of this company if the scientific community, for example, can continue to make use of Stephen Hawking's brilliant mind as his motor function continues to deteriorate. Which is, of course, to put aside the obvious implications for communication by others in physically incapacitated states.
Memories of "special time" with my pervy uncle flood back into mind, can I sue the company for emotional damages?
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
That is a like a Baby's toy.....
This is what they were talking about in Back to the Future part II....
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
[X] I'm a zombie, you ignorant clod!
Uhh it will make you a better pocket billiards player for sure!
It used to be somewhat creepy to try to talk to a gamer engrossed in play because they are usually slack jawed and drooling while their hands were mashing buttons at a million miles a minute, now it will be even more creepy as they just sit there and play the game and they aren't moving, just sitting there like lumps on a log with jaws slackened and playing a game....
Just what we need, more zombie like gamers.
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
Until such a device can interpret thoughts as we have them, without requiring the user to "think" certain patterns... I think I'll hold off on buying mine.
One step closer to being able to play Angelic Layer.
I claim dibs on the electric shock whips!
Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
I'm getting it first chance I can.
I am wondering if the included software will allow for EEG "band-specific" information to be derived from these devices. My daughter has ADD and could not use medications due to the severe side-effects she experienced, so we worked with some pioneering folks in the treatment uaing direct EEG bio-feedback training. Simplistically, ADD is a neurological condition where the active, cognitive brainwave activity found in most people is essentially "drowned out" by a typically lesser "volume" band of brainwave activity. "Beta" brainwave frequencies normally increase in intensity when concentrating, and "Theta" decrease in "normal" people. For ADD people, the theta band increases significantly with concentration, and essentially disrupts the beta activity of concentration. Through the biofeedback which helped my daughter to increase beta activity and lower theta, or at least significantly control its increase, she developed much better ability to concentrate and focus at will, and the common negative behaviors associated with ADD diminished or dissappeared. If this device offers the ability to track and display the core "bands" of brainwave frequencies commonly associated with the different types of activity, it could place this level of reinforcement of the "cognitive" frequencies in reach of many people that otherwise might not have the benefit. I'd certainly enjoy using it for gaming myself, and just for the experimentation value - I see daydreams of remote telepresence with a brain-controlled robotic surrogate and lots of other possibilities. The benefit that my daughter was able to recieve from the recognition and self-regulation of the neurological patterning of the ADD was so life-changing for her that I would very much like to see this available at such a reasonable cost compared to the therapy sessions she required. Obviously, this is nothing to do without proper direction from a therapist with experience, but the daily practice at home and as needed could d4efinitely improve the effectiveness for those that can benefit from this treatment.
game controls you!