Mindflex is a toy by
Mattel by which a child uses their
brain wave
''Brain Wave'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Poul Anderson, first published in serial form in ''Space Science Fiction'' in 1953, and then as a novel in 1954. Anderson had said that he could consider it one of his top five books. Th ...
s to steer a ball through an obstacle course. Brain waves are registered by the enclosed
EEG headset, which allows the child to control an air stream by concentrating, thus lifting or lowering a foam ball. The game was released in the fall of 2009, and uses the same microchip as the MindSet from
NeuroSky
NeuroSky, Inc. is a manufacturer of brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies for consumer product applications, which was founded in 2004 in Silicon Valley, California. The company adapts electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) ...
and homebuilt EEG machines.
Controversy
Despite the science behind the technology developed by Mattel, outside scientists have questioned whether the toy actually measures brain waves or just randomly moves the ball, exploiting the well-known
illusion of control.
[ (In German)] However, despite the Spiegel/Haynes experiments, supporters of the game stand behind the research that went into the development of Mindflex, and believe that the headset does indeed read EEGs.
See also
*
Comparison of consumer brain-computer interface devices
Comparison or comparing is the act of evaluating two or more things by determining the relevant, comparable characteristics of each thing, and then determining which characteristics of each are similar to the other, which are different, and t ...
*
Brain-Computer Interface
References
External links
* http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151026-a-teens-mind-controlled-arm-could-make-prosthetics-cheaper
{{Mattel
Electroencephalography
Electronic toys
2010s toys
Mattel