Brain Control Technology - A New Olympic Sport?

The Olympic Games are known for showcasing the world’s finest athletic talent - but this year people’s brains are also on display. One of the most unique and awe-inspiring stories to come out of the Ontario House during the 2010 games is InteraXon's Bright Ideas display - the largest thought-controlled computing installation ever created. Commissioned by the Ontario Government, and using the NeuroSky MindSet, Bright Ideas allows visitors to Ontario House in Vancouver to control the lights at major Landmarks in Ontario using thought alone. Light displays on Toronto’s CN Tower, Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings, and Niagara Falls are being entirely controlled by people’s thoughts. The NeuroSky MindSet headset used in the installation measures the wearer’s raw brainwaves from a single sensor resting on the forehead. InteraXon’s custom software connects users thoughts to the lighting controls to change the display on the landmark site.

“The NeuroSky technology has expanded the possibilities for our company - we are taking thought controlled computing to the next level - and in the case of the Bright Ideas display, to a massive scale. The NeuroSky MindSet provided us with reliable, low-cost easy-to use headset that allowed us to focus on what we think is really important – creating compelling user experiences that allow people to use this technology in new and exciting ways,” says InteraXon’s CEO Ariel Garten.

“InteraXon is able to take what was once limited to only an exciting idea, and make it into a reality - they possess a unique and creative vision for thought-controlled technology. It is exciting for us to see a partner like InteraXon take the MindSet and develop it into applications that are well designed, easy to use and compelling to engage with,” says NeuroSky CEO, Stanley Yang.

In addition to the Bright Ideas display in the Winter Olympics, athletes in the upcoming Summer Olympics are applying NeuroSky’s technology to athletic training. The United States Olympic Archery Head Coach Kisik Lee and Resident Athlete Coach Guy Krueger use NeuroSky’s technology to identify optimal thinking patterns for each of the athletes. "We are able to see how an archer thinks and from the data we can help them adjust how they think for an optimum mental state for competition," said Coach Guy Krueger.

NeruoSky’s first target industry was toys and games - the Mattel Mindflex Game released for the 2009 Christmas season. Both the phenomenal success of the Mindflex and the unique involvement of NeuroSky MindSet in the Olympic Games demonstrate the substantial impact that Brain to Computer Interface Technology will have on a wide variety of industries, the way that people interact with themselves, and the world around them.

About NeuroSky

NeuroSky, Inc. is the leader in Brain-Computer Interface technologies for consumer product application. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in San Jose, CA, NeuroSky works with industry partners, developers, and with academic and research institutions, to provide innovative products and solutions across a wide range of areas.

Grounded in over 60 years of medical research, NeuroSky’s technology has taken proven medical EEG (electroencephalograph) technology, and evolved it for application to the mass market by making it more user friendly and cost effective. Technological innovations include significant advancements in “noise” reduction, dry-sensor development (rather than requiring a conductive gel), evolved/substantial “cost engineering” (substantially reducing the price), and enabling the wearer to use it outside of a lab (without the assistance of a doctor).

InteraXon Inc.

http://www.interaxon.ca

InteraXon is a Toronto-based company that serves businesses with custom thought-controlled products and experiences. The team behind InteraXon created the world’s first large-scale thought controlled concert in 2003, and as a result of their leadership in the field were invited by the Ontario Government to create an attraction during the Vancouver Olympics that would highlight the innovation and ingenuity of Ontario’s startup companies.