Feb 22 2008I'm Thinking This Could Get Scary: Introducing The Mind-Controlled Gaming Headset
The Emotiv EPOC is a neuroheadset unveiled at the Game Developers conference in San Francisco. You can use it to map different thoughts to perform different actions in video games.
The device can detect conscious thoughts, areas of brain activity, facial expressions and even some emotions such as frustration, shock and anger, and will cost about $US300 ($326) when it is released in late 2008. The EPOC will ship with a range of games designed specifically for the headset, but gamers will also be able to use it with existing PC titles by mapping certain thoughts to keystroke patterns.
Well there you have it folks, machines are officially going to be ruling our brains soon. I'll briefly describe what is happening using a driving metaphor. So here we all are, cruising down Route We Control The Computers and headed towards Paradise City. When all of a sudden a robotic tractor trailer veers into our lane, causing us to jump the median, spin out of control and sideswipe a Volkswagen. When we come to we realize we're no longer on the road we once were. No sir, we're speeding along in the HOV lane of Interstate The Computers Have Taken Over Our Brains and approaching the We'refuckedville city limits at an alarming rate.
Emotiv
via
Mind-controlled gaming headset unveiled [news]
A big thanks to Marcus, who is freaking awesome, for the tip
Reader Comments
1. Uncle Eccoli - February 22, 2008 1:14 PM
They ought to add a death alarm to the thing for the Asian cybercafes.
2. Watch Free Anime - February 22, 2008 1:28 PM
I am so not attaching that thing to my Wii. No matter what kind of cunning games Nintendo comes up with!
3. guate6 - February 22, 2008 1:35 PM
...it was only a matter of time...
4. cbobgo - February 22, 2008 1:48 PM
Hasta la vista, baby.
5. SlowMonkey - February 22, 2008 2:20 PM
I was thinking of putting one on a homeless person but I couldn't remember the section of the brain that registers "Get a Job". I suppose I could just start pushing buttons and see what happens.
6. erinleigh - February 22, 2008 3:11 PM
epoc... like epoc-alypse?
7. Ed - February 22, 2008 3:27 PM
Is this controller compatible with DoA?
8. steve - February 22, 2008 4:28 PM
#1.
That is the funniest comment on here. Seriously
9. Cyberwulf - February 24, 2008 6:14 AM
Actually, it's not that bad of an idea, as long as we keep it on a basis of 'Brain controls game' not the other way around. It's not like they're plugging anything into your head, just giving you a nifty cap.
10. Derek - February 25, 2008 11:37 AM
Id like to stick to plain old fashioned controllers, Id rather not have somthing reading my thoughts wether its just for video games or to save the world
11. Patrice - March 7, 2008 10:59 AM
Am I the only one thinking this is a great step toward our computer evolution ?
Think about it, later on in the futur, no more keyboard and mice. Think also about the domotic application. You enter your house and you want the light to open and Tadaaaa.
Of course, there is cyber crime. Someone will probably just hack into your house system and change the "open the light" sequence for "Fill the bath" and it will overflow.
But HEY ! Wake up MAN, we already suffer from Cybercrime, trojan and RootKit. Nevertheless, this is probably the best step in computer evolution in last 10years.
12. Axonar - May 11, 2008 1:04 AM
So they can read our minds now. 1984, here we come.
13. Patrick - July 29, 2008 7:30 AM
to me its just another step closer to virtual reality.
I mean that helmet together with this design of johny lee for the wii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd3-eiid-Uw
wich most people probably already know but anyway.
together it probably kicks ass
however the first game are probably pretty lame