What? All those years of perfecting my hand-eye coordination for nothing?
Imagine controlling a video game by thought alone. Two weeks ago at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Emotiv Systems showcased a new device, the Epoc, designed to help you do just that.
While Emotiv’s futuristic, dueling-octopus looking headset will initially be developed for video games, it could eventually be used in medicine, virtual reality, robotics, education and many other areas.
The technology is based on electroencephalography, more commonly known as EEG. EEG has been around for over 100 years and is currently used to study sleep patterns and epilepsy by analyzing electrical activity in the brain. Until recently, though, EEG readings were regarded as too broad for most applications.
The breakthrough, notes Emotiv Systems’ President Tan Le, is in the software algorithm that decodes a person’s thoughts by analyzing the electrical impulses in the brain.
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.
Add voiceless chat for some telepathic trash-talk.
You know what this really needs to spur adoption? A Star Wars Wii game. Imagine using your Wiimote as a lightsaber while using Force powers with your Epoc.
Tags: EEG, Emotiv, Epoc, Gaming, GDC, Hardware, Tan LeShare This
