Muse: controlled by thought

What we expected to see in a hundred years is already being sold at a nearby store - this is the very thought that comes to mind when Muse turns out to be from Interaxon.



Developers call this thing Brain Sensing Headband - something like a “bezel for reading brain signals”. In RuNet, they have not yet decided on the translation of the name - here you can find “a bandage for reading thoughts”, and “a headset for concentrating attention”, and “a device for mentally controlling gadgets” ...



In fact, Muse is, in fact, a miniature electroencephalograph that records and measures the complex electrical processes occurring in the brain. The very fact that the developers managed cumbersome, difficult to handle, professional equipment turned into a "gadget for every day" is worthy of respect.

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The device consists of a length-adjustable bezel with five contact pads and two ears, on which two more contacts are placed, and inside - an electronic filling, a Bluetooth module and a battery.



Muse

Price: $ 300 (excluding shipping)

• 7 sensors
• 4 channels of EEG data
• accelerometer (3 axes)
• interfaces: Bluetooth, 2x USB (power)
• support: iOS 6.0+, Android 2.3+, MacOS 10.8+, Win 7+, Ubuntu
• battery: Li-Ion (up to 5 hours)

So what can Muse really do? The company Interaxon reassured: their gadget can not read minds. To date, the developers have prepared only one application - Calm - it allows you to quickly master the art of complete relaxation. In addition, Interaxon distributes an API, thanks to which Muse can be widely used - from mental control in games to training attention, memory and other skills.











We could not deny ourselves the pleasure of comprehending Zen with the help of technology. Immersion into the world of neurons, axons and dendrites - that's all we could remember from the school biology course - we started by installing the Calm application. Thanks to the developers at Interaxon - you will find a version for both iOS and Android.



Then I had to synchronize Muse with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, register (without it nowhere) and go through instructions. A pleasant female voice (can be replaced by a male one) was broadcast in the language of Shakespeare and Eminem, but this did not embarrass - almost all information is duplicated by pictures.







The main thing here is to find such a position of the rim and the ears, so that all contacts fit snugly to the skin - this can be traced by a special indicator in the form of a horseshoe. Notice that the three center pins are schematically indicated by one black oval.



After choosing the duration and complexity of the meditation, you will be offered to take a comfortable sitting position, close your eyes and put on headphones previously connected to your smartphone or tablet.















The last step remains: calibrating the gadget, which is a series of tasks performed in the mind and causing intense brain work. From one calibration to another, tasks change, but English should not confuse you - it is enough to recall images of objects from any three categories (fruits, plants, animals, actors, clothes, etc.) in a cheerful rhythm.







Finally, we are trying to achieve nirvana. You can concentrate on breathing, you can relax muscles one by one - everyone will find their own way. We will thoughtfully recommend trying without trying. Whatever that means. It’s just that any muscle or mental tension intensifies brain activity - Muse can't keep up! The weaker the whiff of the wind in the headphones - the closer you are to complete relaxation. Well, if you heard the singing of birds, we can congratulate - the meditation was a success.







At the end of the session, your achievements are displayed on the screen, recorded in the log and synchronized with the profile on the server - users who like graphics will certainly appreciate the efforts of the developers.











Let's sum up. Muse is definitely a unique device. The gadget will certainly interest those who are engaged in mental practices and, at the same time, do not shy away from modern technologies.



According to personal impressions, the device works. After 3-4 sessions of working with Muse in stressful situations, you begin to “remember” that pleasant state of “emptiness in the head” obtained during the tests on yourself.



The cost of the device excluding delivery from the manufacturer is $ 300. We have this amount is quite more than 20 thousand rubles. Price, to put it mildly, bites. It remains to hope that the potential of the device will be revealed in the near future - on some meditations in our time you will not go far.



PS As it really was - Muse movie : control the power of thought on our YouTube channel Geek to the Future