A New Brain Interface Controller for Video Games -- Or Maybe Something Naughtier

Last night a company called Emotiv showed off its latest generation BCI (that's brain-computer interface) controller to a bunch of nerds from the Game Developer Conference — including our sister site Kotaku's brave and fearless Brian Crecente. Basically, you stick this helmet on your head and control what's on screen via brain-generated electricity that's picked up by EEG sensors. Brian wasn't that impressed — as you can see in the video he made, it's not exactly zappy gameplay. But it does open up BCI controllers to the masses in a way that just hasn't happened before. Of course, somebody has already come up with a way to turn this into a sex toy.

Those of us lucky enough to see Kyle "qDot" Machulis give his presentation last year at Arse Elektronika know that he and his irrepressible sex tech pals are working on brain interfaces for cybersex. Some of the ideas he's proposing will make it into his talk at this year's Etech conference.

How would a brain interface sex toy work? You could meet up for cybering in SecondLife, control your sexy avatar with your BCI device, and keep your hands free for . . . you know, stuff. Or you could do some cross-network biofeedback action. As you get more excited, your brain would direct a cursor to a special spot on the screen, or move your avatar in a certain way. Then your cybering partner, who is of course controlling your special vibrating space egg, could send a command from her computer to rev that vibration up higher. Pretty soon, your brain is hitting the special spot, the space egg is zooming, and you've got the perfect BCI sex toy.

Please, Mr. Machulis, invent this as soon as possible. I need one like five minutes ago.

11:50 AM on Wed Feb 20 2008
By Annalee Newitz
3,012 views
21 comments

Comments

braak at 12:14 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 990

You need to hook it up to that orgasmotron that you posted about yesterday.
NefariousNewt at 12:27 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 695

@braak: Sounds like a good idea, until they start finding people dea in their homes wearing both things.
ManchuCandidate at 12:29 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 519

This would be great right up till you get that $1000 electricity bill.
braak at 12:30 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 990

@NefariousNewt: Well, yeah. I'm assuming that a combination like that is basically the last achievement human civilization is ever going to make.

I just figure, you know, why put it off?
mgcramps at 12:31 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

I want to go to "this year's Etech Conference". Looks groovy.
NefariousNewt at 12:36 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 695

@braak: The last great bit of natural selection?
braak at 12:37 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 990

@NefariousNewt: It's a recurring flaw in the evolution of sentient species. Nature keeps tinkering with the systems, then scratching her head on confusion as yet another sapient animal masturbates itself out of existence.
Klebert L. Hall at 12:58 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

Sounds like that rig in Demolition Man.
-Kle.
Frozen-Tex at 01:37 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

@NefariousNewt: I'm reminded of a scene from "Top Secret"....
Spiral at 02:42 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

@Frozen-Tex: Make sure that you have the adapter for east german power voltage.
mik3cap at 02:53 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

All I can think of is that awesome Christopher Walken movie "Brainstorm" (1983)...
Garrison Dean, King... at 03:57 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 140

@mik3cap: Great flippin movie, I was going to suggest it to them for Found Footage over in the mind control post (even though it isn't about controling minds). But you nailed it, thats the recording device. Brainstorm is an undiscovered classic that got scuttled due to Natalie Wood dying before it came out. Everyone go see it if you haven't.
Annalee Newitz at 06:19 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 344

@Garrison Dean: Yeah, there's the device in Brainstorm, and then there's the SQUID technology in Strange Days, which actually looks sort of like this Emotiv device.
Annalee Newitz at 06:28 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 344

@mgcramps: OMG I accidentally linked to something else I was watching . . . but I love the idea that this year's Etech will be the Wonder Woman intro song. Sadly I've changed it to the correct link, so nobody else will have the pleasant surprise of a Wonder Woman song.
Vanst at 07:16 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

I know it's an overused meme, but do indulge me for a moment.

DO WANT.
tallcat601 at 08:17 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*

Wait, didn't they basically have this in ST:TNG in that episode where Wesley comes home from the Academy and everyone is into the game headset orgasm machine?
Annalee Newitz at 09:02 PM on 02/20/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 344

@tallcat601: argh! do not want!
Jeff-Minor at 05:12 AM on 02/21/08
Reply by Email
*

I guess we all expect the interface revolution to allow all our Matrix dreams to come true. Gamers will be able to sit in front of a screen and move nothing at all! Welcome to your first heart attack at age 20.
Ed Grabianowski at 06:46 AM on 02/21/08
Reply by Email
*
Connectedness Index: 55

I wrote an article about these guys a few months back. I found the "allowing the profoundly handicapped to move and communicate" aspects of the tech rather more exciting than the video game potential. But then, they never responded to my requests for an interview.
Klebert L. Hall at 08:43 AM on 02/21/08
Reply by Email
*

Well, it might allow the profoundly handicapped to play video games anyway - that'd likely improve their quality of life some.
-Kle.
qDot at 10:49 AM on 02/22/08
Reply by Email
*

I went to the Emotiv talks at GDC this week, and their software SDK is already available (though there's no way in hell I can afford to license the hardware SDK). Still on track for releasing "later this year" (just like last year...)

I'm really balking at their price point ($300/unit?!), but I suppose if people want it bad enough... I just don't think they're gonna want it bad enough for video games.