Technology That Gives You Goose Bumps
Jun 19, 2009 General Nonsense |
This might be a shocker, but I'm a bit of a nerd. I get the same sort of visceral thrill from a cool new technology that a wine lover gets from a great wine, or an artist gets from seeing great art. This morning I saw some technology that literally made me shiver. I'm talking actual goose bumps.
A young company called Neurosky. (www.neurosky.com) is marketing a headset that reads your brainwaves. Understandably, toy and game companies are scrambling to make games that you can control just by the way you are thinking about things. The first toy out of the chute is a Jedi mind game in which you can cause a ping pong ball to rise just by concentrating. You might be thinking the same thing I am: Must...have...ping...pong...ball...mind...game...
But that's not the shivery part. Watch the Washington Post's Video about this technology. The link is on the Neurosky home page. It makes you feel as if you're seeing a glimpse of the future. You have to wonder how far this line of technology can go.
I don't know about you, but I rarely go a minute without wishing I could buy some sort of technology that would make it unnecessary for me to move my arms and legs. Imagine, instead of hunting all over your living room for the TV remote control, you could just sit on the couch visualizing it, and it would crawl out from its hiding place between the cushions and get on your lap. Then it would determine what mood you were in and find the TV show that best suits you. That might be a way off, but a man can dream.
Maybe you have a better idea for an application.
A young company called Neurosky. (www.neurosky.com) is marketing a headset that reads your brainwaves. Understandably, toy and game companies are scrambling to make games that you can control just by the way you are thinking about things. The first toy out of the chute is a Jedi mind game in which you can cause a ping pong ball to rise just by concentrating. You might be thinking the same thing I am: Must...have...ping...pong...ball...mind...game...
But that's not the shivery part. Watch the Washington Post's Video about this technology. The link is on the Neurosky home page. It makes you feel as if you're seeing a glimpse of the future. You have to wonder how far this line of technology can go.
I don't know about you, but I rarely go a minute without wishing I could buy some sort of technology that would make it unnecessary for me to move my arms and legs. Imagine, instead of hunting all over your living room for the TV remote control, you could just sit on the couch visualizing it, and it would crawl out from its hiding place between the cushions and get on your lap. Then it would determine what mood you were in and find the TV show that best suits you. That might be a way off, but a man can dream.
Maybe you have a better idea for an application.
Votes: +12
Comments
User Name: bradpitt1111
Jul 6, 2009
0
This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone.
I appreciate the concern which is been rose
I am very pleased with the thought and don’t feel like adding anything in it. It’s a perfect answer.!!
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philip1111
<a href="http://www.sexyeditor.com">reviews</a>
I appreciate the concern which is been rose
I am very pleased with the thought and don’t feel like adding anything in it. It’s a perfect answer.!!
---------
philip1111
<a href="http://www.sexyeditor.com">reviews</a>
User Name: earthpiggy
Jun 29, 2009
0
I think there's a huge market for this, but not just from the consumer side of things. If you're wearing this while watching TV, the device could trigger certain commercials based on your mood, cravings, etc. It could also tailor the commercials themselves to suit your interests by emphasizing points that you care about.
User Name: Leora
Jun 24, 2009
0
I know some people who'd have to boost their battery power to get their brains to control anything. Heaven knows their brains don't control their actions or what they say now!
User Name: Mostley
Jun 23, 2009
0
User Name: Dal_Tiger
Jun 22, 2009
-1
Effectively, this is useless until it becomes a lot more advanced. You don't control the ball, the device detects that you are thinking and that's it. The toy is doing all of the hard work. And isn't it great that they are making more toys for kids to play with by themselves. A 2 player game would have been better, then you could compete with others, maybe even interact with each other, but I guess you would have to buy another whole unit to play. Maybe we could hook this up to coma patients to see if they have any brain activity.
User Name: hatchm
Jun 22, 2009
+2
Just think how this technology could be used to help the handi-capped...like people without the use of their arms could raise a ping-pong ball with their minds...or they could watch while someone else raises a ping-pong ball with their minds...or they could compete to be the first person to raise a ping-pong ball with their minds...the possibilities are endless!
User Name: Maiar
Jun 22, 2009
+1
Im glad television has brought our attention span down to 2 mins. No one can concentrate long enough to take over the world.
User Name: pdb000
Jun 21, 2009
+1
Anybody remember Dan Dare and the Mekon? Science fiction (comics) from the 50s and 60s, where the villain had a huge head and flew around in a levitating chair controlled by (you guessed it) brain waves. I've been waiting 50 years...
User Name: Jayne
Jun 21, 2009
0
On an un-related note...Today's Sunday comment is BRILLIANT! Awesome twist!
User Name: Conotor
Jun 21, 2009
0
Ever since the Wii came out with absurdly !$%*!$ games, I have bean rather suspicions of games made with new sensing technology. Motion sensors had so much potential, but were used for useless crap.
User Name: Conotor
Jun 21, 2009
0
Hear in Canada, George reported that the American army is going to be using this technology for silent communication. (Hey, I thought you said don't ask, don't tell.)
User Name: Mark Robinson
Jun 21, 2009
0
"I'll be getting my tubes tied"??! How did you get away with that?
You're referring to something quite upseting for some women - not a good choice for a joke.
You're referring to something quite upseting for some women - not a good choice for a joke.
User Name: jjsavage
Jun 20, 2009
0
That's fine, until you sneak a peek down your wife's shirt and suddenly it changes to the Playboy channel... o_O
User Name: Xorlium
Jun 20, 2009
+1
In the Vancouver Museum of Science, there is a machine kind of like that, but it's a 2 player game, and each tries to control the ball to make it go to the other side, and the person that first pushes the ball to the other's side, "wins".
User Name: WriteousMom
Jun 20, 2009
0
"...toy and game companies are scrambling to make games that you can control just by the way you are thinking about things.." -AND- vice versa. buyer beware!
User Name: LeFauve
Jun 20, 2009
+1
I own one of those:
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/ocz_peripherals/nia-neural_impulse_actuator
This is basicaly the same thing, with more advanced features : You can move 2 "sliders" with your brain, one vertically (which is the easiest, and probably the one used in the toy) and one horizontally which I still try to control :o)
With the provided software suit, you can actually play ping pong, with a pong like game (which is damn hard), nad create or download settings for playing other games.
Some peoples says you can actually play to a FPS with this... I doubt you can be as efficient than with a mouse if you don't practice for many years :o)
The difficulty with this kind of device is not to "make the thingy move" but to actually control it (you probably don't want your tv remote to crash in your face if you blink eyes while you're gently moving it toward you).
Anyways, it is already on the shelves in Europe for 99 Euros (in bundle with Farcry2 game) and as usual probably cheaper every where else.
http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/ocz_peripherals/nia-neural_impulse_actuator
This is basicaly the same thing, with more advanced features : You can move 2 "sliders" with your brain, one vertically (which is the easiest, and probably the one used in the toy) and one horizontally which I still try to control :o)
With the provided software suit, you can actually play ping pong, with a pong like game (which is damn hard), nad create or download settings for playing other games.
Some peoples says you can actually play to a FPS with this... I doubt you can be as efficient than with a mouse if you don't practice for many years :o)
The difficulty with this kind of device is not to "make the thingy move" but to actually control it (you probably don't want your tv remote to crash in your face if you blink eyes while you're gently moving it toward you).
Anyways, it is already on the shelves in Europe for 99 Euros (in bundle with Farcry2 game) and as usual probably cheaper every where else.
