Gadgetopia

Control video games with your mind: It’s interesting to see something like this actually hit the market. It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie.

I can’t help but thinking that this is a big step forward for people with disabilities as well — if this gets traction in the market place, there would be more public attention to research into similar methods to help people who suffer from paralysis and other neuro-muscular problems. An application like this could push this technology from the fringe to the mainstream in a hurry.

The headset’s sensors are designed to detect conscious thoughts and expressions as well as “non-conscious emotions” by reading electrical signals around the brain, says the company, which demonstrated the wireless gadget at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The company, which unveiled a prototype last year, says the headset can detect emotions such as anger, excitement and tension, as well as facial expressions and cognitive actions like pushing and pulling objects.

The headset will be sold with a game developed by Emotiv, but it can also be made to work with existing PC games, the company said. Users will also be able to access an online portal to play more games, chat or upload their own content such as music or photos.