Monday, July 9, 2012

Mind Games: NeuroSky Technology Allows Users’ Thoughts to Control Video Games


I had to reread this twice.  Accord to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “…a new technology from NeuroSky allows users to control games via their thoughts.”
The article goes on to say, “The gadgets translate brain waves into digital information and beam it wirelessly to computers or other devices. 

So far the headsets are confined to mostly digital interfaces—videogames and movies whose plots can be altered with the mind—although in some cases real-world objects have been used, like a pair of catlike ears that move depending on a person's mood. The technology, still in its infancy, has the potential to not only entertain but to possibly improve education and strengthen mental health, some doctors say.”

Most interesting for me, is the assertion that “…some doctors believe mind-controlled games can provide more than fun and relaxation, by improving mental health. Psychiatrists have long trained the brain's pre-frontal cortex to fight against acute conditions like anxiety, post-traumatic stress and attention-deficit disorder. Practices like meditation, exercise, and cognitive therapy have shown comparable short-term efficacy to medication.”

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