flickering pictures

Probably not. But a tech company called Emotiv is putting the finishing touches on its “Epoc,” a wireless hands-free device that lets you control a computer using the power of your mind.

The image above is of the super-spiffy prototype, while the one at right is a shot of the consumer version.

From Kotaku:

“At Emotiv our vision for the future is that controls won’t be limited to conscious controls,” said Tan Le, co-founder of the company behind the mind-reading device. “This will allow machines to understand your emotions and expressions.”

The wireless device slips onto a gamers head, its 14 or so slender metal branches sliding through hair to rest against the scalp. The metal arms, which are coated with a proprietary material, detect the electrical current conducted by the brain and transmits the data to an in-board chip that deciphers the information and translates it into data that can be used by the program to control games.

[…] The device, which was first shown last year at GDC, has evolved to be able to detect a range of brain activity, Le said, using the data to detect facial expression, mood and, to some degree, simple thought.

It’s being marketed mainly as a video game controller, but it makes you wonder how far we are from surfing the net and typing up documents with our minds…

If you’re looking to cast away your keyboard, and if you don’t mind that the Epoc looks like a cross between a dental torture device and an cyborg octopus, you can pre-order your very own for $299.

Thanks to Rogan for submitting the link!
Photo via Gizmodo.

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