Brainwave Pioneer Teams Up with Barbie Maker

In the US, toy manufacturer Mattel and brainwave reading technology firm NeuroSky have partnered to develop a new category of games and toys that operate using the power of concentration.

NeuroSky recently launched a MindSet headset through which a user can send messages to their PC, allowing them to control certain functions with their thoughts - the technology is expected to have applications in market research. Mattel is the company behind brands like Barbie and Fisher Price.

The new games will use headsets featuring NeuroSky's ThinkGear technology, which recognizes a user's brainwave activity during varying levels of concentration, processes the information into digital signals, and then transmits the signals to the base unit as commands.

The first Mattel game to use ThinkGear technology will be Mindflex. This will combine 'mind-eye' and 'hand-eye' co-ordination to enable a player to levitate and guide a small, foam ball around a customizable obstacle course. As the player concentrates, the digital output from the headset powers a small fan inside the console which levitates the ball. When the player stops concentrating, the ball gradually drops.

San Jose, CA-based NeuroSky produces consumer brain-computer interface technologies for use in market research, consumer electronics, health and wellness, education and training, and transportation applications.

Web sites: www.mattel.com and www.neurosky.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.