Hello, Fall! We’re getting ready for the change of season in Southern Ontario, and writing our news roundup from beside a cozy fireplace this week. In case you missed it: InteraXon published a responsive article in Tech Crunch about the myth of brainhacking and industry regulation. We are still receiving overwhelming and positive response to the article, and thank you to all the readers who have shared, commented and emailed us to date.
This week in our roundup: a peak into ‘the making of’ Necomimi; a prosthetic limb from John Hopkins University is the first of it’s kind to be tested on human patients in real-world scenarios; Dr. Damien Coyle is awarded a fellowship for BCI research; a new brain training system from MindReflector Technologies offers users a chance to develop brain functions based on neurofeedback.
1// From An Anime Sketch To Reality: The Cool History of Necomimi
Our friends at NeuroSky and Neurowear have done a fantastic job with Necomimi, the brainwave powered cat ears that show the world how you’re feeling.
This past week, Huffington Post published a story about how this loveable headset came to be, the anime inspiration for the fuzzy cat ear design, and the origins of the name ‘Necomimi’.
2// Johns Hopkins University Developing New Prosthetic Limb
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are currently in talks to begin the process of commercializing a prosthetic limb that is controlled via brainwaves. The limb is controlled through two different means. One way is a brain computer interface for paraplegic patients. The second way is through surface electrodes for patients who are amputees.
Researchers at the Applied Physics Laboratory of the university will be testing and demonstrating the prosthetic limb on 5 human case subjects who have spinal cord injuries. The project is considered a first for the field of bionics.
3// Royal Academy of Engineering/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship Awarded to Dr. Damien Coyle
Dr. Damien Coyle, a founding member of the BCIAT (Brain-Computer Interface and Assistive Technologies) research team at the University of Ulster, has been awarded the Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship. The award honors his work investigating brain computer interface-based assistive technologies, and allows him to continue research in this field. Dr. Coyle is also a lecturer at the ISRC (Intelligent Systems Research Centre), located on the Magee campus at the university.
4// MindReflector Offers Brain Training Through Neurofeedback
A new brainwave-controlled neurofeedback system, for brain training, has been introduced by MindReflector Technologies. On September 21st, a paper titled ‘The Enhancement of Neurofeedback with a Low-Cost and Easy-To-Use NeuroSky EEG Biofeedback Training Device: The MindReflector Protocols’ was presented to the ISNR (International Society for Neurofeedback and Research). It discussed MindReflector’s new technology and summarizes 9 months of clinical research.
The system is designed to give users a variety of activities that allow them to enhance brain performance, while measuring and analyzing brainwaves. Manufacturing Digital reported on the system, saying:
“Wearing a NeuroSky headset, users follow the program’s protocols, including shutting their eyes while listening to music, or opening their eyes and watching visual focal points. Through dedicated use of this elegant procedure, users are better able to develop specific brain functions.”
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The InteraXon news roundup is published weekly, every Sunday night, to recap trends and breaking news in the world of brain computer interfaces and thought controlled computing. Do you have a story you’d like to submit or share? Contact us at info@interaxon.ca (subject line “News Story”) or leave a comment here
