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Lindblum's avatar
Lindblum
Explorer
12 years ago

Anybody have experience in Brain-Computer-Interface devices?

Has anyone tried one or more BCI, and have an critique of the products available?
Here is a list of them.

4 Replies

  • I own a NIA made by OCZ (which is on the list). Although the software worked pretty good on my old 32-bit pc there is no 64-bit support. Running the software on 64-bit causes glitches and makes the readings a lot less accurate. That's why I can no longer properly use it unfortunately. I've been looking for their SDK, but I could never find it. I have found it now through your link though so thanks :)
  • Hehe, some years ago I got to try the Mindball device that's on that list at a videogame convention. My identical twin brother and I had an intense duel that he ended up beating me in.

    I was told afterward that he and I managed to lower our mental activity much farther than the rest of the people in the line. The guy who was running the booth gave me a pat on the back and said "good game". I don't know if the rest of them were hyped up on energy drinks (there were a lot floating around at the show) or my bro and I are a special kind of mentally deficient but it made me feel good.

    Aside from that, the only other BCI I've used is a Zeo and it did not impress me at all.

    Recently the Muse and the Melon BCIs made headlines on indiegogo and kickstarter respectively.
  • Update: I ordered an Emotiv EPOC ($300). In time I will keep you posted on my experience with it.
    When my EPOC and OR arrive I will hope:
    (1) that they don't compete uncomfortably for forehead space.
    (2) that the EPOC's brainwave sensitivity won't be compromised by RF interference from the OR.
    (3) that I will be able to compile a demo that can read the EPOC's serial messages.
  • I actually also owned an OCZ NIA.

    I bought Quake 3 off of steam to play it with (it used a Quake 3 NIA demo for tutorial) but I would concentrate and really focus as hard as I could and the only input I could even confidently say I was able to change was something called 'tension', which was extraordinarily easy to stress, but to accurately manipulate was a challenge.

    The NIA package came with a program that would actively show information in real-time about input like 'alpha' or 'beta' waves but they were shown actively cycling more and less like cardiogram displays and it would display an active and constant, fast rolling signal but changing that signal with my brain after many hours felt like trying to KO a marching band drummer by staring at him from the bleachers.

    There were a total of like 5 or 7 different signal inputs it would accept to use to map controls but only 'Tension' was something I felt was close to reliable, and strapping on the kind of cool-looking headstrap (after making sure that there was little moisture, etc. between sensors and skin) just for that one input of Tension (and I ended up raising my eye-brows to manipulate this signal, which looked ridiculous) did not seem worth it.

    Even in the modified Quake 3 tutorial for NIA that I tried after many hours, my character would appear to randomly jump, move, shoot or strafe if any of those triggers were on anything but Tension. Incredibly hard to control or trigger.

    I had hoped that OCZ being a well-known brand this product would be something next-gen but with the difficult controls it ends up feeling more like a gimmick.

    If you go on the forums you'll probably see what I saw, though. One or two people talking about an incredible amount of control and precision (who I now suspect were trolling the rest of us sweating the device out) - I hope your experience with the EVO is much better.