Emotiv sees an update

Remember the Emotiv headset which we covered last year? That was a unique mind-controller that enabled wearers to actually control the actions on the screen simply by using the power of the mind, but one year ago, the prototype could not do as much as what was displayed at GDC this year. This updated Emotiv headset is now even more capable of interpreting the interaction of neurons in the brain, picking up electrical activity from the brain while sending signals to a computer sans wires. This makes it a snap for users to manipulate a game (imagine making headshots all the time with perfect accuracy in Counter Strike) and a virtual environment naturally and intuitively.

According to Tan Le, president of US/Australian firm Emotiv, “Emotiv is a neuro-engineering company and we’ve created a brain computer interface that reads electrical impulses in the brain and translates them into commands that a video game can accept and control the game dynamically.” This is the first headset that doesn’t require a large net of electrodes, or a technician to calibrate or operate it and does require gel on the scalp. It also doesn’t cost tens of thousands of dollars.”

In addition to reading your actions, it can also read emotions of players and translating that to folks around you in the virtual world. For example, if you gleefully laugh at an opponent after finishing him/her off, your virtual buddy will actually give you a good verbal rubdown for being callous. Virtual nagging for $299? Sounds pretty interesting. At press time, the Emotiv can detect over 30 different expressions, emotions and actions.

Features of the Emotiv include :-

• Sensors respond to the electrical impulses behind different thoughts; enabling a user’s brain to influence gameplay directly
• Conscious thoughts, facial expressions, and non-conscious emotions can all be detected
• Gyroscope enables a cursor or camera to be controlled by head movements
• The headset uses wi-fi to connect to a computer

Check out the OLogic for another mind-control robot.

Hat tip: Joel Sanderson via BBC

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7 Comments on “Emotiv sees an update”

Kelly Williams Says:

I’d just like to go on record as the first person to use the term “mind mouse” as a nickname for this device.

Gallery of Latest Gadgets » Coolest Gadgets Says:

[...] Emotiv sees an update [...]

Joel Says:

That is freakin awesome, I’d spend $300 on one, where can I buy it!

Don Cullen Says:

@Kelly: It’s not a mouse; while it can be used to navigate via the EPortal, it cannot be used to move a cursor. Well, it could via EmoKey (a mind to keyboard/mouse mapping software), but it’d not be very efficent since what EPOC can read in regards to intentions are very limited. Maybe the next version of the EPOC will be able to perform well as a “mind mouse”?

@Joel: It’s not available for purchase yet, but you can reserve your headset so when it becomes available, you’ll be among the first to purchase it and will get an email notification. Plus, if you reserve your set, you’re guaranteed a sale; those who don’t reserve it run the risk of not being able to buy it when it’s sold out. You can reserve your headset at this website: http://www.emotiv.com/corporate/2_0/2_4.htm

Kelly Says:

Darn. Must be close, though. It seems like you could get by with a minimum of 5 distinct signals - move L, R, U, D, and click. I’m thinking about the immediate usefulness of something like this for people with tremors - hand tremor that makes it tough to control a pointing device, and head or eye tremors that would keep head or eye tracking from working well. But direct brain signals might be immune from those muscle control issues.

Don Cullen Says:

It’s possible. It seems the game they’re working on is able to differentiate between pushing left, right, forward, and pulling. The game also is able to determine if you want something to disappear. So perhaps by thinking about pushing something forward, left, right, and pulling, that could work as U L R D, and the clicking could be done via the disappearing thought command.

Don Cullen Says:

Forgot to add; this would be done via EmoKey. You can map the pushing in three directions, plus pulling, plus the disappearance command to the corresponding mouse directions plus click.

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