Posted Sep 05, 2007 at 09:03PM by Isaac C. Listed in: Off Topic, Accessories Tags: light saber, Arkanoid, Darth Vader, LiveScience, Emotiv, NeuroSky
Ó

Think about it: games controlled by mere thought may be possible as early as 2008. NeuroSky has developed such technology, demonstrating it last April with a Darth Vader game where users control his light saber by just thinking it.

NeuroSky's technology involves biological sensing - Image 1But as fate would have it (and dozens of movies have told us the same) that tech that deals directly with the mind has consequences. Recent studies have shown that the new tech may be dangerous for the brain and some (though not all) scientists expressed concerns about the prospect.

NeuroSky's brain-computer interface (BCI) uses sensors attached to the scalp to detect brain wave patterns. As long as the user concentrates on a certain object in the game, they can control it. In the Darth Vader game, users were able to light up the saber just by concentrating in their minds that it's lit up.

Scientists discovered that users are sometimes forced to slow down their brain waves to play, and they consequently have trouble focusing afterwards. Niels Birbaumer, an independent BCI researcher explains:


Imagine that somebody uses a game with slow brain-wave activity and then drives a car while still in that state. You could have an accident. I think it's a rare possibility, but it should be tested before people do this.


Nam Do, the CEO of Emotiv, another company whose technology runs on the same principles, explains that it's "normal to have these concerns" but that it does not apply. He says, "There is no two-way interaction, and the technology does not require the user to train their brain to get into a predetermined state in any way." Greg Hyver, VP Marketing of NeuroSky, supplements this by saying that the concerns arise only from the lack of familiarity with the tech.

The technology is still in its early stages and some scientists doubt we'll be able to play complex games with it this soon. More like old school ones like Tetris. Maybe Arkanoid? Still, it's pretty cool and the companies say they may be able to release the tech by 2008.


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20 Comments


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   by senjutsu (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » futur nin console? lol

nintendo is always with "special" controllers, maybe next time it's gonna be your brain? at least I would buy such a product, not really because the game would be good or bad, but because you use your BRAIN! lol, so weird.

Still, the tech demo of NeuroSky is really bad. I mean, they could only have 2 "button" mapped to your brain... I know that some games require only 2 buttons too... like shooters (you move with analog, shoot and relod with your brain? lol) or racing games (accelerate or brake with your brain while the analog (or motion sensors) do the steering), lol.

That would be cool, but they need to work a lot on that tech before it'll be usable in games for real, that's for sure.

ps: they already tryed that on monkeys, and after a while, the monkeys developped a new "area" in their brain (we have an area for our eyes, for our ears, etc etc etc). Still, it's still not sure what this tech could do to us since after a while, the monkeys were losing some "usefull before" areas to "create" the new area (since the "new" area is still mapped on the brain and not "outside" or on a "new" part of it.

anyway, we'll see, but it's still cool. We'll see that in our life! :D

   by huh? (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » huh?

What happens if you bricked your brain... where the reset button there.


   Re: ~ (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » ~

OMG X__X

This is one of the best Qj comments I've seen in a long time :'D
Thank you

   Re: Matt (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » I second that

Amazing. Hahahaha....

   Re: god0fgod (Unregistered) - 2007-09-07
 » lol

We'll need to download Paul mckenna for that. : )

Someday we will be able to think lights on.
   by WorldGenesis (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » XD

once though-controlled games come out, headache medicine might be a high-demand. this could be a future nintendo console...BELIEVE IT. nintendo's way of displaying gameplay in a new format and adventure.

   by um... (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » i guess

this new tech can help treat the mental retards that bought a 360 (which is the majority) i mean... look,
"2-3 week with no 360? i no care, 3 year warrenty!"
"we came out year early so we best!"
"blu ray sux cause can compress on dvd!"
"halo 3 gone be best game eva!!! even if game developer said no cover online!"
"ut3 copyed gears! gears much better even if developer said it not!"
"ok...3 rings bad...4 rings... WORSE! SEND BACK!"
" only way save 360 is wet towl!"
" xbox games are upscaled! even if ps3 have more BC"
"we have achievements! it like pacman score in every game!"
" i know we get mgs4! even if creater say 3 times it no going to 360, even force engrish on self to say it"
"microsoft love custumer more than sony cause microsoft give back money before lawsuit, charge uneeded fee for fun, and blame us first for big problems on 360!"

anyway thats what i heard on gears of war... my tag is cinco9 if u want to be chainsawed! lol and my ps3 account is friendpie (funny story behind this name, it deals with geting my ps3 but thats for another post)


   Re: Gamer (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » Grow up kid

Try talking about the topic for a change instead of trying to turn everything into a brainless fanboy console war.

   Re: Advertising -


   Re: joe (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » lol

he probably tried the brain thingy and it mapped his brain. now he is thinking like a monkey...
   by TraJiK (Unregistered) - 2007-09-05
 » Third-Party Accessories

Hmm, Where would the third-party add-ons be plugged into? I suppose they would have to find an existing hole in the body to plug em in. Ouch!

Try playing Guitar Hero or DDR with your mind. I don't think it would have the same effect that it has now. And how would you go about MODDING one of these systems? Very carefully I suppose. How much MORE of video game DRONES do they want us to become? We'd be zombies sitting in front of our tvs, concentrating so hard, we look constipated. Haha.

   by Spectre (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » LMAO

Only on PS3. ROFL

   by a.d. (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » wow

this is pretty weird... that stuff could ***** with your mind... everyone is going to turn into zombies


   Re: god0fgod (Unregistered) - 2007-09-07
 » 1 way

It doesn't interfere with your brain it just reads it.
   by it's me, Stealth! (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » XBOX FANBOY

"2-3 week with no 360? i no care, 3 year warrenty!"
"we came out year early so we best!"
"blu ray sux cause can compress on dvd!"
"halo 3 gone be best game eva!!! even if game developer said no cover online!"
"ut3 copyed gears! gears much better even if developer said it not!"
"ok...3 rings bad...4 rings... WORSE! SEND BACK!"
" only way save 360 is wet towl!"
" xbox games are upscaled! even if ps3 have more BC"
"we have achievements! it like pacman score in every game!"
" i know we get mgs4! even if creater say 3 times it no going to 360, even force engrish on self to say it"
"microsoft love custumer more than sony cause microsoft give back money before lawsuit, charge uneeded fee for fun, and blame us first for big problems on 360!"

   by WarLord - 2007-09-06
 » I have a feeling-

Nintendo will pick up on this technology first. I did say that the only way I would buy another console from them was if they found a way to play using your mind. Guess it won't be as long as I thought.


   Re: ackeejag (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » wow

so nintendo will be the one to turn us into mindless zombies with a brain cancer?
cancer- abnormal growth of cells.
i would say an extra lobe growing over my speech function would count as a tumor.
   by lol (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » this could actually help prevent car accidents instead of causing them

if u have a device that can measure how much you're concentrating, then all u gotta do is wear it while your driving and have it hooked up to some kinda alarm that goes off when your concentration drops, thus assuring you're alert all the time.

   by Advertising -
   by Bomboy (Unregistered) - 2007-09-06
 » hey guys

would you really want some sick minded bastard to play with you online?

   by ninty (Unregistered) - 2007-09-07
 » power glove

i bet it will be like the power glove, looks cool but it wont work well and will be better to stick with the wii remote.

   by ink (Unregistered) - 2007-09-10
 » cancer

it wont grow over another lobe! london taxidrivers has the geographical memorylobe 2-3 times the size on normal people! and i dont think they forget how to walk or talk:P



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