bit-tech.net

OCZ controls games with your mind

Published on 17th March 2007 by Richard Swinburne

In 2008, OCZ hopes to allow gamers to play games with the power of thought... immersion to the max?

The absolute hands down coolest thing we’ve seen at the show has to be OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator, which allows you to control a game through the power of thought.

The Neural Impulse Actuator is a simple strap that goes around your noggin (head) and beats the traditional image of having thousands of probes and wires coming out of you like some crazy Frankenstein experiment.
We're all used to wearing headphones, so is that really that much different? Sure, sweatbands died (thankfully) in the ‘80s, but OCZ could well be bringing ‘em back.

Neural activity creates electrical pulses that can be detected by electrodes in the headband. The NIA separates three classes of neural and “myographic” signals into “electro oculographic, electro encrphalographic and electromyographic signals”. The brain, eye and facial activity signals are decoded by the external box and combined in a way that can be read as unique commands by the PC.

Whilst the guy demonstrating still had to use the mouse to control where the character looked, he was still able to control all actual movement, changing weapons and firing entirely through the strap.

OCZ tells us that it is expecting to release the Neural Impulse Actuator within the next twelve months – could we be seeing the future of LAN gaming with rows and rows of gamers strapped in by thought alone? Has laziness reached a whole new low or is this the future of PC interaction? Discuss in the forums.

35 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

r4tch3t 17th March 2007, 11:20

Awesome, so was the guy actually doing it, and how good was he?

PA!N 17th March 2007, 11:37

Thats hardcore

Veles 17th March 2007, 12:19

Sweet

Nature 17th March 2007, 12:48

That is ******* cool. Not cool, ******* cool.

Duste 17th March 2007, 12:56

If that external box could be shrunk to the size of a PCI card, I reckon it'd be a lot better.

Darkened 17th March 2007, 13:06

Is that Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendell, he sure looks like him! :)

Could be pretty cool if it worked well this "game controller", though the downside would be the total lack of "sports" as all geeks know it.

pjotero 17th March 2007, 13:21

Any idee about the price

Does it work good? Or are there alot of unmeant movements?

Smilodon 17th March 2007, 13:42

So in the future i actually have to THINK while gaming? That sucks ;)

Really, that's pretty cool. I wonder how easy it is to use.

DarkLord7854 17th March 2007, 13:53

Can you reverse the signal and make the computer control the human? :D

Lazarus Dark 17th March 2007, 14:21

Ok, interesting and all. But where is the friggin Cryo-z!

samkiller42 17th March 2007, 14:35

Cool, imagine controlling vast amounts of Mammoth Tanks in C&C 3 just using your mind, i so want.

Sam

DXR_13KE 17th March 2007, 15:08

i think i will be watching this very carefully...... and yes this is very very awesome.

Phil Rhodes 17th March 2007, 16:34

I presume someone's looking into applying this to people with spinal cord injuries.

P

Skill3d 17th March 2007, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by samkiller42
Cool, imagine controlling vast amounts of Mammoth Tanks in C&C 3 just using your mind, i so want.

Sam

kinda like yuri :D

ou7blaze 17th March 2007, 16:53

I think this would be extremely useful in RTS game genres.

I wonder if your skill level when using this new device is affected by your intelligence LOL

FooSai 17th March 2007, 17:56

That would be cool to use in addition to a normal controller, so you can still (using FPS as an example) move around, aim and fire like normal, but could use it to switch weapons bring up a map and do less used activities like opening doors, all without having to move you hands from your mouse and WASD keys.

Imagine having a sniper scope on and being able to zoom in just by thinking "what the hell is that over there?"

jmke 17th March 2007, 18:29

is doesn't work like that "thinking what the hell is that over there"; alpha/beta brain waves are monitored, eye movement and facial muscles, those can then be read through the electrons and used for input on the PC;

got a movie and more tech detail, price, caps, up here: http://www.madshrimps.be/gotoartik.php?articID=551

it was, without a doubt, the coolest thing at Cebit:)

knuck 17th March 2007, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by ou7blaze
I think this would be extremely useful in RTS game genres.

I wonder if your skill level when using this new device is affected by your intelligence LOL

lol no more 'my fingers hurt i cant macro fast enough' excuses :D

Woodstock 17th March 2007, 20:36

i honestly dont like it, part of the appeal of games to me is hand-eye coordination and the reaction times, ill be sticking to keyboard and mouse thanks

willyolio 17th March 2007, 20:52

a couple points to add:

first, everyone keeps hearing about these things once every couple years by some weird startup somewhere. OCZ picking it up? that's news.

secondly, how much control do you really get? speed and response time? how many distinct actions can you perform?

and, of course, accuracy. is reading skin currents and stuff like that enough? will future pro-gamers be shaving their heads to increase performance?

Kurayamino 17th March 2007, 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodstock
i honestly dont like it, part of the appeal of games to me is hand-eye coordination and the reaction times, ill be sticking to keyboard and mouse thanks

I have to say I agree!

Quote:

Originally Posted by willyolio

is reading skin currents and stuff like that enough? will future pro-gamers be shaving their heads to increase performance?

LMAO Fatal1ty bald!

Redbeaver 17th March 2007, 21:27

regardless of accuracy or performance, this is a great great next big step of evolution in the computer world... not just gaming....

a viable way for the masses to have a neural controlling device. period.

that itself is big news!

the first time a "car" came out, horses are way faster and they dont need any gas. just a couple of carrots and some water. thus everybody laughed at the idea of travelling with a car. some say its cool and stuff, but for the masses, it's just 'odd'.

well, then, here we are.

im not a historian but u get the idea...;)

Tyinsar 17th March 2007, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Rhodes
I presume someone's looking into applying this to people with spinal cord injuries.

P

I think it was research there that lead to this. I think giving these people access to computer games (and so much more) would be great but Imagine getting repeatedly killed by someone in a wheelchair who can't move more than his head :) .

From what I have seen of similar devices before I expect there to be quite a learning curve - it would be something like learning to use a third arm.

Edited for clarity

jmke 17th March 2007, 21:55

my colleague reviewer got the hang of the system after 5-10 minutes and was fragging away in UT2004.

The controls for this profile were set up:
- mouse 360° look around
- eyes left/right- strafe left/right
- close yaw: run forward
- close yaw harder: jump

there can also be actions linked to the alpha/beta brainwaves, but they do take some time before you can control them enough. Visit my link on the previous page for more details on the technology behind this OCZ product:)

regarding the wheelchair, some of the technology inside was pre-tested by Stephen Hawking.

apoogod 17th March 2007, 22:28

there is also this... http://www.emotiv.com/2_0/2_1.htm

http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/3188/20prod4rh7.jpg

Looks like more then a few companies are into this

Woodstock 17th March 2007, 22:46

@ Kurayamino
glad to see im not alone

MrWillyWonka 17th March 2007, 23:30

When I read the article I thought, isn't it a bit early for April fools?

But I guess y'all being serious.... great stuff but wouldn't that take away the thrill of gaming. In my view it would make gaming easier but I'll have to try it out before I can comment on it more.

metarinka 18th March 2007, 19:18

I've tried one of these systems awhile ago, this is more sophisticated than what I used. The airforce also looked into such a system for piloting aircraft and targeting etc (and they use it for targeting on helicopters now). Anyways the issue I had was more the preciscion was lacking in that you know how you want that timing in UT where you jump just at the last frame possible off a ledge, It was harder to get taht down. At any rate it would encourage such a device even if it was set for more digital inputs such as switching guns, bringing up maps etc.

while we are on input devices is it that crazy to ask for a keyboard with analog arrow or WASD keys (analog being they aren't just on off but have various degrees of pressure as any controller has had for the last 2 generation) That's my biggest pet peave in FPS and racing games, it's either on or off

Tyinsar 18th March 2007, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by metarinka
...
while we are on input devices is it that crazy to ask for a keyboard with analog arrow or WASD keys (analog being they aren't just on off but have various degrees of pressure as any controller has had for the last 2 generation) That's my biggest pet peave in FPS and racing games, it's either on or off

Now that's a crazy (as in crazy good) idea! ;)
Surely one of those fancy two handed game controllers (like the one for the PS2 but with more buttons?) could do that but it would mean giving up the mouse. :(
Would a one handed joystick-like device in your off-hand work?
Nah, I still like your gamer keyboard idea better. (maybe the folks behind the Zboard should look into this)

DarkLord7854 18th March 2007, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by metarinka
while we are on input devices is it that crazy to ask for a keyboard with analog arrow or WASD keys (analog being they aren't just on off but have various degrees of pressure as any controller has had for the last 2 generation) That's my biggest pet peave in FPS and racing games, it's either on or off

Aye, gotta agree with that, I hate how I can't make my car hold a steady 60mph and brake slowly to a stop. Bah.

metarinka 19th March 2007, 02:39

I should hurry up and patent the idea and make em, I don't think it's that crazy or epxensive for a keyboard to have 4 analog buttons, I spose if you were a smart enough you could hack the analog buttons an xbox or such controller (and since they are already usb and have windows drivers) and modifiy a keyboard but a manufacturer with a little bit of money could do a very nice job, and Racing game especially when you have to pump the arrors just to take a turn

[USRF]Obiwan 19th March 2007, 10:23

I hope they are not inflicting some patents of the 1970's Atari mindlinksystem

Skutbag 19th March 2007, 12:19

What a name though. I would have preffered something a bit more sci-fi B-movie: The BRAINSTRAP for example. MINDMOUSE even. I can see the poster now. 'They could control the keyboard and mouse, but no man could control...THE BRAINSTRAP!' Coming to a cinema near you. In fact I might have to pitch that to the studio that okayed Grindhouse....

gimpchimp 20th March 2007, 12:42

Aww man, that looks frickin' sweet!

Pie_uk 24th March 2007, 00:03

id buy one ! looks kool