ShoutingInDigital

Calling all Jedi Padawan

Posted by James | Filed under social media

Forget the iPhone, ignore the Wii – NeuroSky has just announced what must be the coolest gadget for all would-be Jedis everywhere.

The new Force Trainer uses a headset which acts like a simplified hospital EEG machine to read brain activity. The brain waves are then translated into a signal which is transmitted wirelessly to the main device which then makes a ping pong ball like training sphere rise inside the tower.

Simply though the power of your mind, you can show off your Jedi powers – accompanied by actual sound effects and audio clips from the Star Wars films.

The Force Trainer is due to be released in the US in Autumn, priced around $90-$100.

Greg Hyver of NeuroSky, the company that developed the brainwave technology for both games, commented: “Until today, EEG technology has been designed for rigorous medical and clinical applications with little regard to price (and) ease of use.

“We are putting this exciting technology into everyone’s living room.”

Mattel is also planning to release their own game at around the same time. The Mattel game will be called Mindflex, and was created using the NeuroSky technology. The Mattel game allows players to guide their hovering ball around a circular obstacle course by controlling the speed with a dial on the machine, and the height of the ball using the headset.

Over at Cnet Rafe Needleman asked Mattel Senior Marketing Manager John Ludwig if future versions will offer more axes of control – not just height, and was told: “It’s all possible, it’s just a matter of money.” He also said that future games might respond not just to concentration, but to fear, anxiety, happiness, or frustration. He said: “We’re always looking for the newest way to control things.”

Mindscape is also expected to be priced at around the $80 mark when it ships this autumn.

Now if they can just perfect the light sabre and a ship that can make “the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs” maybe my dreams of becoming Galactic Emperor might be possible after all.

Tags: quirky