Laser Headsets That Read Minds

If you've ever wanted to use your mind to lift objects like Yoda, your dreams have come true. A video game and headset to be released later this year by Australian company Emotiv will let you move the stones of Stonehenge with your mind — no kidding!

The Emotiv headset also can detect your emotions. It is based on electroencephalography, often abbreviated as EEG.

Other researchers have developed near-infrared spectroscopy, or NIRS, headsets using laser diodes and fiber optics. In February, Sheena Luu and others at Toronto's Bloorview children's rehabilitation hospital reported that they used near-infrared spectroscopy to determine what kids want to drink with 80 percent accuracy. The kids had a choice of two drinks. The idea is that this research will lead to a device that will help disabled children live more enjoyable lives.

These headsets also could help disabled people type or move a wheelchair. In the May-June issue of BioPhotonics, I write about a research group that is developing a combined EEG and NIRS headset to assess traumatic brain injury. Some headsets also could replace the traditional lie detector test, which has been criticized by some for inaccuracy.

For now, I have to be content with using the force in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on my Nintendo Wii.

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