Zen Bound 2 and Other Mind Games

Since today marks the start of CES, and InteraXon is gearing up to show off our amazing inventions to hoards of techies, I’ve decided to talk about the realm of mind-controlled gaming.

Zen Bound 2

Last week we announced the release of Zen Bound 2—the sequel to the award-winning iPhone App to which we have brought brainwave control capabilities. Zen Bound 2, showcased at CES2011 and created by mobile gaming company, Secret Exit, is a simple yet visually-stunning puzzle game that engages players in a meditative environment. The goal of the game is to paint various objects by wrapping each one with a length of rope. The game challenge is to cover enough of the object with the allotted amount of rope. The mind challenge is to get the object to spin by concentrating hard enough. The more you play, the better you perform, because after each round, you receive feedback about your brainpower and how your performance compares with previous sessions.

Built with InteraXon’s custom EEG headset, this application affords users the opportunity to immerse themselves in a cognitively controlled experience, further opening the door to next generation games, mental trainers, & connected interactions. This represents a significant and growing market opportunity as the cognitive training business has grown from a $2M industry in 2005, to an $80M industry today.

Brain Pong

Rainer Goebel, a Maastricht University neuroscientist, developed a next-level version of the classic arcade game Pong as a cognitive training tool. Two players lie in fMRI machines and move their respective pong paddles by concentrating on specific thoughts. Goebels team hopes this application could help paraplegics learn to control accessibility devices with brain activity.

The Mindflexis an award-winning game made by Mattel that allows you to navigate a floating ball through an obstacle course of hoops and hurdles using your brainwaves.

Brain Bobble

Bubble Bobble, the classic game where you shoot bubbles to annihilate other bubbles of the same colour has been hooked up, by the Tsinghua University, to an electroencephalogram (EEG) headband.

Force Trainer

The Force Trainer is really a brilliant toy for Star Wars fans, because it takes the idea of using The Force and makes it (more or less) a reality, by allowing you to levitate a ball just by concentrating on it.

Master Mind and Think-Tac-Toe

Mind Technologies Inc. is a company devoted to developing software for thought-controlled technology. Master Mind is a tool they developed that connects gamers’ brainwaves to some existing PC games, such as World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, using the Emotiv EPOC headset. Think-Tac-Toe is a cognitive exercise game they developed and designed for players of all ages.

iPhone Apps

There are a slew of iPhone Apps starting to be hooked up to EEG headsets that allow users to control gameplay with their minds. Aside from Zen Bound 2, Emotiv also offers a few games in their online shop that are designed to be used with their EPOC headset. Expect to see this mental method of engaging with your iPhone Apps to grow exponentially!

Needless to say, mind-controlled games are awesome for so many reasons, but what I really admire about it is that it’s a totally unique way of giving locked-in patients the ability to engage in fun activities with other people. As much as it’s just for fun, it can also be a tool for improving the quality of life for many, many people.

What other games would you like to see hooked up to your brain waves?