EEG Gaming

As electroencephalogram (EEG) readings get more sophisticated
and our understanding of the brain advances, scientists can
delve further into the meaning of the scratchy graph. If the
test can convey more than just the evidence of a medical
abnormality and actually interpret a patient's thoughts, it
can have wider implications. If you remember, the presence of
beta waves indicates that a mind might be particularly
excited or stressed. It turns out that people emit certain
patterns of brain waves in conjunction with particular
emotions or even thoughts.

Researchers have been working to develop EEG technology
specifically for people living with loss of muscle control.
The idea is that, when the technology is perfected, patients
with paralysis will be able to control things through
a computer using only their thoughts. They would be able to
type e-mails or adjust the thermostat with mere concentration
[source: Singer]. Another application can offer a person
suffering from paralysis a virtual reality and an avatar
through which he or she can move vicariously.

Emotiv Systems, the company behind the new EPOC, has applied
this technology to the gaming world so everyone can
experience it. The company claims it has developed the first
high-fidelity brain computer interface (BCI) that reads and
interprets both conscious and nonconscious thoughts as well
as emotions [source: Emotiv]. The headset also processes
facial expressions. According to Emotiv, the range of the
system spans 30 different expressions, emotions and actions.
The emotion of boredom, the facial expression of smiling and
the thought of pulling are just a few examples of things the
system picks up on and translates to your avatar's actions on
the screen.

The EPOC headset incorporates 14 extensions of electrodes
(seven pairs), mostly centered around the front of the scalp.
But rather than using the wires of traditional EEG tests, the
headset is completely wireless, allowing the player free,
natural movement. To go along with that, the headset also
includes a gyroscope that allows the player's head motions to
control the camera or curser. In a doctor's office, it might
take a sticky gel to keep the electrodes in place, but the
EPOC headset fits on your head similar to the way headphones
do. The system costs significantly less, too -- instead of
the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that EEG
machines usually cost, the EPOC costs only a few hundred.

Playing the Emotiv EPOC

Whenever you're frustrated, your mind emits a particular
pattern of brain waves. And while the pattern might stay
consistent, it's probably a little different from the pattern
another person emits whenever he or she gets frustrated.
Because all brains are unique, the Emotiv EPOC has to get to
know your brain before you can get your Luke Skywalker on.

First, as you're putting on the headset, you need to finagle
the electrodes to make appropriate contact with your head.
Because it doesn't use the adhesive material of medical
electroencephalogram (EEG) machines and the headset is meant
to fit all sizes, you need to arrange the electrodes manually
until they're just right. Refrain from making jerky movements
to avoid disconnecting an electrode. Bundled along with the
Emotiv EPOC headset is a game in which you're challenged to
perform tasks for a sensei. In this game, you're told to
practice concentrating on a specific motion, such as lifting.
The headset's electrodes record the resulting brain waves
during your concentration, and from then on, the system
recognizes that pattern as the lift function. Concentration
is key, which can be challenging. Creators of the system
recommend that you physically pantomime the motions so that
you stay focused on the task at hand and are able to repeat
it later in the game.

A few of the actions the game asks you to practice and
perform are:

* Lifting an object
* Dropping an object
* Pushing an object
* Making an object vanish
* Rotating an object on six axes

Other aspects of the EEG readings don't have to be quite so
unique to you to work. For instance, the system can pick up
on general boredom even if it hasn't asked the player to
practice boredom before. The system recognizes that if you're
emitting more theta waves than usual, you're basically zoning
out. The system can respond by ramping up the excitement in
the game.

Some emotions it reads are:

* Excitement
* Tension
* Boredom
* Immersion
* Meditation
* Frustration

Aside from actions and emotions, remember that the headset
can also read facial expressions. As you wink or frown,
a corresponding cartoonish face on the screen mimics the
action. This can be incorporated into the game as well. In
demonstrations of the game, players are shown scaring away
fanciful creatures by grimacing.

Here are some of the actions Emotiv says the headset can
read:

* Winking
* Laughing
* Crossing eyes
* Appearing shocked
* Smiling
* Getting Angry
* Smirking
* Grimacing

What does the future look like for this technology? While
some consider the EPOC just fun, games and Jedi mind tricks,
others see this technology as having far-reaching
implications -- some good, some bad.