Announced early this December, SEGA Toys and brainwave signal processing company NeuroSky are teaming up to develop innovative, next generation toys and other entertainment products. The two companies have been talking since early 2007, but the announcement was officially made on December 10th.
Engineers at NeuroSky have been developing “wearable” brain wave-reading products, toys and video games since 2004. One of their most impressive and recently demonstrated toys is a Darth Vader costume, where inside the helmet is a brainwave reading device that rests on the user’s forehead.
Equipped with a full Vader suit and red light saber, the sensor inside the mask sends signals to a wireless receiver inside the saber to illuminate it when the user is concentrating. If the user thinks specifically to keep it lit, it says lit. If the user thinks to shut the light off, or if the user’s mind wanders, the saber shuts off. The demonstration, while basic and incredibly gimmicky, is only a precursor to the more sophisticated devices NeuroSky says they are working on. NeuroSky says teaming with SEGA Toys will allow them to bring their ThingGear bio-sensing technology to more possibilities with SEGA’s creative and innovative capacity. Read the official NeuroSky press release here.
