Apparently we’ve just arrived in the future, because coming soon to store shelves near you is a headset that lets your brain control the movement and actions in a video game.
The neuro-headset will pick up the interaction of neurons in your brain, allowing you to control the game you are playing simply by thinking about it. "It picks up electrical activity from the brain and sends wireless signals to a computer," said Tan Le, president of US/Australian firm Emotiv. "It allows the user to manipulate a game or virtual environment naturally and intuitively."
We knew that stuff like this was coming. The US military agency DARPA has been working on such futuristic controls as this. And advances in medical engineering has allowed for those in a vegetative or paraplegic state to control artificial limbs through the sheer act of thought.
However no one knew we were so close to a commercially viable game headset.
The brain is operated via a hundred billion nerve cells, neurons, which emit electrical impulses when interacting with each other. The headset uses a technology known as non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) to read these activities. "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,” said Ms Lee.
The Epoc “…is the first headset that doesn't require a large net of electrodes, or a technician to calibrate or operate it and does [not] require gel on the scalp," she said. "It also doesn't cost tens of thousands of dollars.”
In addition to being able to control the game, the Epoc technology allows your character’s avatar to mimic the expressions you are making while you play the game. Sensors in the headset pick up over 30 expressions, including excitement, meditation, shock and anger, and much more. "The headset could be used to improve the realism of emotional responses of AI characters in games," said Ms Le.
"If you laughed or felt happy after killing a character in a game then your virtual buddy could admonish you for being callous," she explained.
The headset will go on sale later this year for $299 (presumably USD), and will communicate wirelessly with your computer via a USB dongle connected to the computer.
Joshua Hill, a Geek’s-Geek from Melbourne, Australia, Josh is an aspiring author with dreams of publishing his epic fantasy, currently in the works, sometime in the next 5 years. A techie, nerd, sci-fi nut and bookworm.
