Gaming via brainwaves is the next logical step in the evolution of gaming, but I didn’t think it was this close to becoming a reality. Emotiv was the first real glimpse I had into the future of brainwave gaming and I was fairly impressed. OCZ showcased the Neural Impulse Actuator at CeBit and that seemed to be the closest thing we’d have to real brainwave gaming for a while, but now there’s NeuroSky.
NeuroSky, based in San Jose, CA is another company who’s been toying with the technology and their headset is just as geeky as the others. Of course, NeuroSky’s rig works a bit differently from Emotiv’s and OCZ’s, but it essentially does the same thing. Except they use Darth Vader as the prototype, so it’s much cooler.
There is one sensor that comes in contact with your forehead picks up your brain’s electrical signals, then those are sent to a wireless receiver inside the lightsaber, which lights it up based on how hard you’re concentrating. If you lose concentration because you’re Mom is yelling at you to come to dinner then the lightsaber goes dim.
NeuroSky is currently observing an NDA so details are scant, but CEO Stanley Yang says we’ll see something at the Japan Toy Association trade show in June, while the US will see a version in October at the American International Fall Toy Show. He also had this to say about his company’s upcoming product line:
Whatever we sell, it will work on 100 percent or almost 100 percent of people out there, no matter what the condition, temperature, indoor or outdoors. We aim for wearable technology that everyone can put on and go without failure, as easy as the iPod.
I can’t wait! This technology will surely be the downfall of Man in so many ways. I will never want to work ever again.