Once upon a time, we fantasised of “The Force” in Star Wars and Dr. Jean Grey of the X-Men Comics (her mental powers, that is). Most of us who grew up in those dreamy eras would inevitably wonder what it would be like if those powers were in our command. Technological advancements in the past few years may have perhaps brought us a little closer to unlocking the possibilities that lie within our minds.
Enter gaming. One by one, controllers that translate mental activity into tangible, real world effects have begun to surface. These controllers basically ‘read’ a user’s brainwaves, and translate them into electrical impulses. What this means for us, is that any person with these tools could manipulate real objects using mental concentration.
Here are a few pioneers in the limelight:
Star Wars Force Trainer
Released in 2009 by Neurosky, the Force Trainer comes with a headset that records your mental activity in the form of electric currents. The device then converts these currents to power a fan that propels a sphere upwards. Strong concentration is rewarded and quantified by the height in which the ball ascends; the stronger your mind, the higher the ball will rise.
Interestingly, the concept is an extension of EEG scanning, common in hospitals and medical facilities, showing that new ideas sometimes stem from the old. Watch the force trainer in action: Geek Girl Uses Star Wars Force Trainer [VIDEO]
Mind Flex
Enjoying their success with the Star Wars Force Trainer, Neurosky drove their creativity further and came up with an even greater challenge, the Mind Flex. Using similar technologies, a cool looking mental headset scales your mental concentration to move a ball past various hoops.
To beat the game, you need more than just raw brain power, as precise control is necessary for you to move the ball through its obstacles. If you’ve ever wondered how it feels like to have telekinesis, this gadget will give you a feel for it. Featured on CBS News: Mind Control Game [VIDEO]
Epoc
Emotiv came up with incredibly cool idea in 2008: a wireless, blue-tooth operated headset that directly allows the device to interpret your neuron activity. What this means, is that the headset interprets your actual thoughts via their own system, and then channels those commands to real actions in a game.
Epoc also recognizes more than 30 different facial expressions and actions, ensuring that many common emotions like displeasure, anger and excitement are accurately translated and represented inside games. Watch a demo of Epoc here [VIDEO]
What was once only possible in science fiction has now become increasingly available to the public. Although the current capabilities of these toys are very limited, it causes us to wonder what is in store for mind-link technology. Just imagine: Mind controlled jets and personal computers might just come within our lifetimes!
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