The American toy company Matell, is ready to release MINDFLEX, a toy
designed to use brainwave filtering output to control a game, where a
ball is levitated by mind power to pass through a hoop. The device measures the activity of theta waves i the brain, and the output is used to control the ball...

The toy will be available on the American market from Fall 2009.

Although this is obviously a biofeedback device, it does look like
psychokinesis, when demonstrated in this MSNBC video from th "nightly
news program":

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28607738#28607738

Scott Hill
Frontier Sciences Group

One of the products that slipped through the net in our CES coverage was a new game from Mattel. Its main difference over other gaming gadgets is the input method, which consists mainly of using your mind.

connect your brain to your computer! Current mood: amused Category: Web, HTML, Tech control your computer with brainwaves? We've heard this one before...hook your brainwaves up to an AI computer interface, a.la. cyborgs, and wupti! you can control your computer with your mind--a favorite subject of SciFi films and books, and often rumoured in the popular media.... But this time, it was IBM and partners who demonstrated the technique at the CES computer show in Las Vegas, which I have just watched on a video podcast... Emotiv systems based in the USA, has developed a headset for this purpose (don't worry, you don't have to drill holes in your skull to make the connection, like in Matrix!) and has actually demonstrated the device... And if you are a software developer and live in the San Francisco area, you can actually try it for free! I would suggest you view the podcast and look at the documentation, before commenting on this post! If you are a software developer, the Emotiv SDK is available for download also... Scott press release from Emotiv: Emotiv Systems was founded in 2003 by four award-winning scientists and executives: internationally recognized neuroscientist Professor Allan Snyder, chip-design pioneer Neil Weste, and technology entrepreneurs Tan Le and Nam Do. These founders all shared the same inspiring vision: to introduce the immediacy of thought to the human-machine dialogue. Together they have developed a technology that utterly transforms the way we interact with computers. While Emotiv is currently focusing on the electronic gaming industry, the applications for the Emotiv EPOC-- technology and interface span an amazing variety of potential industries -- interactive television, accessibility design, market research, medicine, even security. Plans for introducing Emotiv into these and other broad realms are already in the works. It's an ambitious plan, and to back it up, Emotiv has assembled an outstanding group of people for its Board , Advisors , and Staff Overview Communication between human and machine has always been limited to conscious interaction, with non-conscious communication -- expression, intuition, perception -- reserved solely for the human realm. At Emotiv, we believe that future communication between human and machine will not be limited to the conscious communication that exists today. Users will demand that non-conscious communication play a much more significant role. Our mission is to create the ultimate interface for the next-generation of human-machine interaction, by evolving the interaction between humans and electronic devices beyond the limitations of conscious interface. Emotiv has created technologies that allow machines to take both conscious and non-conscious inputs directly from your mind. Applications for Emotiv technology spans numerous industries, however, our immediate target market is entertainment, with a focus on the electronic games industry. Emotiv is committed to enabling all developers. We offer a range of licensed Software Development Kit (SDK) solutions that fit the needs of all, from large publishers to the independent startup. The Emotiv SDK gives developers unparalleled access to a user's mind. The Emotiv EPOC-- platform showcases the latest advancements in Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) neuro-technology. The Affectiv-- suite measures discreet emotional states. The Cognitiv-- suite detects conscious thoughts. The Expressiv-- suite can identify facial expressions in real-time. Each of the detection suites in the Emotiv SDK enables development of revolutionary interface experiences and a new level of user immersion in software. A beta-version of the Emotiv SDK will be available to developers from March 2008. Emotiv will also offer a hardware emulator SDK. SDKLite-- exposes our APIs and provides a comprehensive development environment without the neuroheadset hardware of the complete Emotiv SDK. What's New Emotiv EPOC-- Beta Evaluators Needed : Are you ready to experience the bleeding-edge of gaming? Emotiv is looking for a few good Beta Evaluators to help us fine tune our revolutionary product. Be the first to experience the interactivity of the Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset! As extra incentive, participants who fully complete a documented evaluation session will be granted a significant discount on their early edition direct-to-consumer Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset kit. Sessions will be conducted in March and April 2008 in the Emotiv offices located in San Francisco, California. These sessions generally involve non-invasive product usability testing and brainwave recordings. Each session will be approximately 1 hour (we also require you to arrive 15 minutes before the session start time). If you are interested, send Emotiv an email to: betatest (at) emotiv.com with the following information: * + First and Last Name * + Age * + Gender * + Phone Number * + Email Address * + Full Mailing Address (Street, City, State, Zip) * + Occupation * + Hat size (if known, otherwise a subjective head size: extra-small, small, medium, large, extra-large) * + Dates that are you available in March and April 2008 * + Preferred time of day to participate (morning / afternoon / evening) * + Are you a regular gamer? * + Have you participated in product beta testing or usability testing before? * + Tell us something interesting about yourself that would make you the ideal "Emotivated" candidate! An Emotiv representative will contact you if you have been selected for the Beta Evaluations. Please note, incomplete submissions will NOT be considered. You must be 18 or older to participate and will be required to sign Non-Disclosure and Beta Evaluator Agreements. email Emotiv... Emotiv Consumer Product - Launch Event : On Tuesday 19th February 2008, we will unveil the world's first consumer brain computer interface in an exclusive event jointly hosted by CMP and Emotiv. A limited number of passes will be available to developers to attend this history making event. For more information please see our Events page . more... Game Developer Conference 2008 : After making waves at GDC 2007 with the alpha version of the Emotiv neuroheadset, we are going to take it to another level at GDC 2008 . Developers will be able to try first-hand our beta neuroheadset and SDK at our Booth . In addition, we will be presenting on the latest neuro-technologies and its application for the games industry. more... Press Coverage Video : Video highlites of Emotiv's press coverage during GDC 2007 more... This is an article I posted last year on my blog, for comparison --- In bioelectromagnetics@yahoogroups.com, Scott_Hill@... wrote: > > Brainball and Brainpong, biofeedback meets PC-gaming > by Scott Hill > Copenhagen 2.12.2001 > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > Scott_Hill@... > > An interactive expo--NIC2001-- opening today in Copenhagen's Bella > center presents a number of new interactive hardward and software > projects. From Sweden's Interactive Institute > (http://smart.interactiveinstitute.se/smart/smart_eng/press_eng.htm) > 2 players can > play "Brainball", where they use their brainwave activity to "move" a > ball back and forth. Using electrodes fastened to their heads > the alpha wave frequency spectrum is measured, and the less alpha > activity (perhaps related to greater relaxation), the > longer the player can move his ball towards his opponent. According > to Interactive Institute: > "Brainball (is) the game where you score goals with your brain. > Brainball is a new party game devised by elite Swedish > interdisciplinary researchers. The rules are simple: the player with > the least brain activity wins, the stressed, thinking opponent loses. > Biosensors connected to the brains of the players > read alpha and theta waves which guide a ball bearing over a playing > board towards the opposing goal. Brainball came about > as part of a project involving co-operation between artists, > engineers and designers at the Interactive Institute." > The game can be downloaded free from the Interactive Institue > website. "This game is radically different from other games, which > typically reward agressive behavior" says Bengt Larsson from > Interactive, "If you think too much about winning, you lose!" he says. > The ball is controlled by magnetic fields, run by the output from the > brainwave machine. > > Another brain-mind-PC games has been developed by som finnish art > students from the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. > (http://www.uiah.fi/) > They revived the "computer stoneage game" Pong in a radical new form. > In the new version, the screen image is projected onto a > horizontal plane (f.eks. a table). Inside the projector is also a > camera, which catches hand movements which are made over the > screen display, so they can send "a virtual ball" back and forth > between their hands.