Move Objects with Your Mind Using This Brainwave-Reading Headset

We chat to the Sydney developer who's been working on the technology, which he anticipates will be on the market within two years.

by Ingrid Kesa

September 17, 2015, 1:50am

OK so it might not look exactly (read: anything) like this, but if you've ever wanted to make objects fly around a room like Matilda Wormwood then these brainwave-reading headsets will likely appeal to your interests

It sounds like something that's been uplifted from a sci-fi film, but within a year or two you should be able to buy a brainwave-reading headset for less than $200. A team at the University of Sydney Technology Lab has been working on the headsets, which allow you to physically move objects without lifting a finger. While they’re not the only developers in the world experimenting with this technology, they reckon they can do it for the cheapest on the consumer market. We caught up with the Tech Lab’s innovation leader Jim Cook to chat about the benefits that brainwave-reading headsets could provide in everyday situations, and how they could be especially useful in the disability space.

The Creators Project: How long have you and your team been working on this project for?

Jim Cook: The University of Sydney technology innovation team first encountered inexpensive EEG [Electroencephalography] sensor technology in 2013 and started evaluating it in between our other projects. Around August last year we launched a project in conjunction with some first year science students at the University to build a real world application. The results of that collaboration was our first working example, which we called Mindwave.

Why were you interested in this particular area of technology?

There is enormous potential for brain-computer interface—in business, education, and to enhance the lives of people living with accessibility and disability challenges. The University of Sydney strategy for inclusion and disability is well-known and with technology like Mindwave we’re able to open up the world of education and research to people for whom this might not have been available without this amazing technology. In education, as in business, technology levels the playing field. Also, I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit that I'm just obsessed with how technology can change the lives of people.

Image courtesy of the University of Sydney Technology Lab

What do the headsets actually look and feel like?

Currently it’s a hard plastic band with metal sensors. As you might expect from that description, it's not particularly comfortable to wear for long periods of time but we are discussing ways to improve the device. Ideally, the headset could be turned into a cap, however fitting long lasting batteries might be tricky. For a good Mindwave workout you'd need more of a top hat than a cap. Maybe we can use Mindwave to bring top hats back into fashion?

How can these brainwave-reading headsets be useful in everyday situations?

The initial benefits from an everyday perspective have been quite interesting. From a mindfulness perspective, if you wear the headset you become acutely aware of your focus and relaxation. This actually leads to a better understanding of the mind for the individual and you learn to control those states relatively easily. As the technology continues to evolve and becomes more accurate and even less expensive, I can imagine a situation where you'd wear the sensors while you're asleep and the world could wake up around you. Your brain kicks into gear and your internet-connected house knows how to prepare everything you need for the morning: coffee on, toast made, iron heating up, heater warming the house before you get out of bed.

You mentioned Mindwave’s benefits for people with disabilities and accessability challenges. Can you tell us about how the technology could help in this space?

In the disability space we've already experimented with controlling a grid of 64 buttons and with being able to repeatedly trigger the correct button with just the mind computer interface. There's no reason not to believe that you could use your mind to talk or control any manner of devices. Imagine people with mobility challenges not requiring the degree of care they need now. Imagine people with mental health conditions learning mindfulness techniques to assist with their emotional states. Imagine being able to share information through the power of thought. Technology like this has few limitations once you start with what you want to achieve and work backwards to the technology available.

Check out the DJ Mindwave headset in use at the 1:27 mark in the video above

Do you see any risks involved with releasing technology like this, and how is it best to combat them?

There are some potential issues where you send people brainwaves across the internet. At this stage they aren’t coherent thoughts so it would be hard for anyone to use them even if they could access them. I’m not ruling out in the future that you might inadvertently transmit some emotional state or something that could be used inappropriately. In fact, there are some researchers at the University of Washington that are looking into brain-to-brain transmission—essentially controlling people over the internet—but their sensors aren’t the inexpensive consumer grade units we are using at the University of Sydney and require a lot more time to calibrate.

When will the Mindwave headsets be available on the consumer market?

As with most recent technological leaps, it’s the applications that make the product viable. For real-life use I'd suggest it will be another 12-24 months until there is the kind of ecosystem of apps to make these a regular product you buy in the stores.