From playing video games to operating nuclear facilities, focus and attention are key factors in excelling at important tasks. Freer Logic's BodyWave scanner trains users to be aware of their brain functions without making them wear a silly hat.
The BodyWave tracks brain activity, but it doesn't hook up to your head. The device, which is about the size of an iPhone, straps onto a user's arm or leg, using three carbon contacts to tap into the electrical impulses firing synapses send throughout the body. Software is used to filter out other sources of bioelectricity, including the heart.
The device works by placing users in a simulated environment in which focus and concentration is key. In the video above the example is a nuclear power plant. The device measures brain activity that corresponds to attentiveness, only letting the player continue the simulation if their focus level is at its highest.
Beyond job training and potentially gaming, the BodyWave is also being put to use by Freer Logic sister company Play Attention, which hopes to use the technology to help those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) work on their concentration.
The BodyWave device reminds me of Nintendo's Vitality Sensor, the biorhythm monitoring device that debuted at E3 2009 and hasn't been seen since. Nintendo's device will monitor pulse rates along with other signals transmitted by the body. What gaming applications Nintendo has for their device remain to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if Freer Logic isn't stepping on their feet just a little bit.
What's Next: BodyWave's Scanner Tracks Brain Waves to Keep You Sharp [Popular Science]