gE Blog Series: Technology Part 2 - Mindreading: Technology of the Future or a Current Reality?

Technology is always changing, causing us to play catch-up on a daily basis. A new trend on the horizon? Mind reading. Today, a variety of consumer products such as games and phone-apps use mind reading technology to captivate users. Last Christmas two new games used mind-reading technology to find the way into many homes. Mattel’s Midflex and Milton Industries Force Trainer both use brain-wave technology similar to the electroencephalograph, which is used to diagnose brain disorders. Many video games are also trying out this new technology. Next year a new Apple app is planned to be released using mind power. This app, Tug of Mind, will be the Apple’s first game controlled by the mind and can be partnered with a NeuroSky headset.

NeuroSky holds a large influence over the mind power industry. The company has started business deals with companies in the United States, Japan, and Taiwan, receiving $19 million toward mind control technology. NeuroSky has greatly simplified this technology by using a single dry sensor that is pressed on the forehead, along with reference points and a headset that can filter noise while reading brain signals.

What does this technology mean for consumers? Although much of the potential for brain powered games remains in the future, companies like Honda Motor Co. are currently investing to take advantage of mind-control features. Both the auto industry and health care industry could greatly benefit from this technology. Prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs are two products that could be improved using brain powered technology. Also, car companies across the globe are looking to use this technology to add convenience for consumers. One example of how this could help consumers could be a brain reading device in cars that could assist people with simple tasks like opening the door when someone is carrying groceries.

Mind reading technology used to be a thing of the future, but now it seems to be becoming a reality with new global business deals. So where else does this technology hold promise? Maybe someday we will be able to update social networks or write emails without ever touching a computer or phone. I guess we will just have to wait and see where this new trend takes us.