Mind-Reading Game Headset to Hit Market
Gumbo
Eric Bland, Discovery News
The device and a game bundled with it will cost $299 and will be available
this Christmas. While some games will be specifically designed for the
headset, Le notes that it could be used in any computer game.
Reviews of the headset have generally been positive, but some people have
found it harder to use than others. You can view videos of people using the
Epoc here and here.
One man who has already tried it is IBM's Mike Rowe, an expert on 3-D
virtual environments. Emotiv Systems has already formed a partnership with
IBM and is working with other companies specializing in robotics, education,
medical devices, and consumer product testing.
"It's one of those things you have to do to believe it actually works," said
Rowe.
Rowe said the company plans to first use the system with people who have
limited mobility but expects the headset, which translates facial
expressions, moods and actions like moving and lifting onto virtual
characters, will become a standard feature in virtual 3-D environments such
as Second Life.
"Back in 1994 and 1995 many companies started seeing the use of a 2-D
Internet," said Rowe. "You had all these different parts to it, but it only
became usable once we got to a common Web browser."
Scott Makeig, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California-San
Diego, echoed Rowe in seeing Epoc as a tool for people with limited physical
function. Such a headset could give paralyzed people could have a degree of
freedom and independence by letting them do simple things like turning on
the TV and switching stations.
"There has been a resurgence of EEG research," said Makeig. "This will be
the future."
Source: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/07/mind-control-games-02.html