When Lawrence Fishburne told Keanu Reeves to “Free your mind” in the Hollywood science fiction epic, The Matrix, audiences were thrilled to the notion of applying mind over matter – that the mind could actually be used to control technology. But as exciting as the film was, the idea was still just a work of fiction – until now. An Australian talent has not only taken the initial, tentative steps towards mind control over technology, it has already unleashed a working product on the American market. Emotiv Systems’ EPOC headset does what we’ve only been able to fantasise about in movies: It can read your mind and use that information to control technology.

“We compute the patterns and try to recognise thoughts, expressions and emotions,” explains Emotiv co-founder, Nam Do. “It has 16 sensors that read the electrical impulses from the brain that are naturally emitted. It works wirelessly with the computer and looks for patterns.”

Do was back in his adopted country for the Sydney-hosted XMediaLab event, “Global Media Cultures”. His keynote speech was been the biggest revelation – and an unqualified hit – among attendees as well as other speakers. It’s one thing to say on paper that a headset can intuitively interpret facial gestures, emotions and slight movements, and then translate them into commands for a computer or video game; it’s a whole other thing to be able to demonstrate such features in front of a live audience. We came away even more impressed after Do allowed us to test the EPOC headset first hand.

Emotiv allowed us to play the game ‘Spirit Mountain’ using EPOC’s developmental software. After a quick fit and test of the headset, we completed some training exercises where the computer learns to recognise the patterns received from the headset. This data forms the basis for later challenges. For example, the software has a series of challenges involving a 3D cube. By using thought alone, we were cable to cause it to spin, rise, drop and even disappear. Spinning the cube is particularly telling of the subtleties in the EPOC design: once mastered, not only can you keep the cube spinning, you can control the rate at which it spins.

epoc headset

Based on the latest developments in neuro-technology, Emotiv has developed a revolutionary new personal interface for human computer interaction.  The Emotiv EPOC is a high resolution, neuro-signal acquisition and processing wireless neuroheadset.  It uses a set of sensors to tune into electric signals produced by the brain to detect player thoughts, feelings and expressions and connects wirelessly to most PCs.

Headset Features:

The limited edition EPOC is released in the US in limited quantities, and early users will have access to the Emotiv App Store and the very first games and programs developed exclusively for this one-of-a-kind neuro-technology platform. Developers are currently utilizing Emotiv EPOC technology in a variety of new and exciting ways.

Artistic and creative expression – Use your thoughts, feeling, and emotion to dynamically create color, music, and art.

Life changing applications for disabled patients, such as controlling an electric wheelchair, mind-keyboard, or playing a hands-free game.

Games & Virtual Worlds – Experience the fantasy of controlling and influencing the virtual environment with your mind. Play games developed specifically for the EPOC, or use the EmoKey to connect to current PC games and experience them in a completely new way.

Market Research & Advertising – get true insight about how people respond and feel about material presented to them. Get real-time feedback on user enjoyment and engagement.

Via PopSci