The future is near: 4 scenarios for the use of neural interfaces

Before the emergence of neurotechnologies, it was difficult to imagine that people would derive additional “physical” benefits from the work of their brain — for example, to lift objects with the power of thought, without the use of mechanical effort. Of course, such opportunities are still far away, but there is movement in this direction.

There are gadgets that are able to respond to brain impulses, in fact, controlled by the power of thought. An example is the Puzzlebox Orbit Helicopter, a radio-controlled helicopter, which is able to gain and reduce height, as well as to change its trajectory of movement depending on the degree of user concentration.
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In our today's topic we will talk about how to use other similar products with benefit.

Teaching children

As a rule, children do not immediately begin to love the learning process, this skill is acquired over time. However, the best way of education for a child is always the game, somehow modified with the advent of new technologies. The introduction of neural interfaces into the gaming environment allows the user to see how his brain can influence the game process, for example, to control the movement of objects to achieve a specific goal.

Included with the Neurosky Mindwave neural interface is the Mind Ant development game, which, in the literal sense, allows us to follow the movement of our thoughts. In the basic version of Mind Ant, the child gets the opportunity to develop skills of concentration and attentiveness, “pushing” the prey into the nest of the anthill: apple, mushroom, etc. When the player’s concentration level drops to the minimum, the ant stops pushing the load. In order for the ant to push the load continuously, it is necessary to constantly maintain the necessary level of concentration. As a result of such exciting workouts, the player’s brain learns to maintain the required level of concentration when performing a task automatically.

This neurointerface is also a useful medical tool for combating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ).

Stress management

Working bustle often does not leave people time not only to think, but also to take care of their mental health. Somewhere an original solution to solving this problem: for example, residents of Helsinki have the opportunity to spend time in the temple of silence - a space for meditation and relaxation. But not all business people have the luxury of leaving the workplace. Especially for such busy people, a ZenLamp meditation lamp was created, working with the Neurosky Mindwave neuro-headset mentioned above. The main purpose of the lama is to teach a person to enter a meditative state and maintain it.



The technical idea of ​​the lamp is as follows: the lamp receives EEG (electroencephalographic) data from the neuro headset, which allows you to read information about the concentration and meditation of the user. This information is recognized, interpreted and then projected as a color spectrum: from red, meaning complete confusion, to violet, a state of meditation.

"Fitness" for the brain

Morning workouts for many have become a traditional ritual - useful not only for self-organization, but also for maintaining perfect physical fitness. Of course, our brain is not constantly visible, and outsiders can not see the results of training, because there are no “cubes” and relief on it. The quantity and quality of the convolutions is manifested already with closer communication - conversation or intellectual duel. Especially for those who wish to pump their brains, in addition to the Neurosky Mindwave Mobile Starter Kit interface, a BrainWave Visualizer program is available that can visualize brain training.



In one of the games, the user is offered to increase the level of concentration to burn the virtual barrel, in the other - to make the virtual ball levitate by the level of meditation. A similar way of "pumping" offers English kit MyndPlay, complementary to the neurointerface Neurosky Mindwave Mobile "MyndPlay" Edition. The only difference is in the form of managing virtual objects - here the player is invited to mentally “open” cans with pop, to shoot from a bow and even to change the direction of the storyline of films with the power of thought.

The medicine

The most logical use of the neural interface is the measurement of the biological indicators of the human body. In a word, encephalogram. The Great Lake Neurotechnologies Bioradio mobile complex allows you to read the patient's EEG and ECG information at home or at any convenient place and reflect its muscle activity. Such a portable diagnostic center is especially necessary for people with heart disease, as well as scientists studying neuro-and bioengineering.



Announcement: All these and other gadgets in the areas of smart home, wearable electronics, virtual and augmented reality, 3D scanning and 3D printing will be presented at the interactive festival of the latest technology TechTrends Expo (you can buy tickets at a special price until March 27).