Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Heres an experimental app that can measure your brain waves. This wireless device embraces the head, clips onto an earlobe, and measures neural activity and pulse. The results are sent to an gaming app installed on an Android smartphone, which displays graphs and info about the state of the brain during a 30-second test.
This reminds us of the XWave device we reviewed last winter. That $100 headband wasnt wireless, but plugged into an iPhones earphone jack. As it communicated with an iPhone app, the more cerebral members of our group were able to document their state of nirvana for all to see.
While that device was pretty much a parlor game, this conceptual device, designed by KDDI R&D Laboratories, looks to be more sophisticated. According to Japan Trends, the device was introduced this week at the International Modern Hospital Show in Tokyo, and is more of a biofeedback system, appearing to take portable brainwave measurement to the next level.
The signal from its headband is received on an Android smartphone, where the test subject plays one of three different games for 30 seconds. Then, the app displays a chart that graphs concentration and meditation, otherwise known as focused state and relaxed state. The app also works without a game, where the test subject thinks about various emotional topics for 30 seconds, and then measures the result.
The device is not available for sale yet. So far, its in the concept and research stage. Could this be the precursor to portable lie detectors? Perhaps it could be used for market research, measuring peoples reactions to various advertisements or products. Maybe it could be used to gauge the interest level of a tech article on the web.
Still, were skeptical. Let us know in the comments if you think this is a useful brain research tool, or just another parlor game.
Graphic courtesy KDDI R&D Laboratories
More About: android, apps, brain waves, research, smartphoneFor more Tech & Gadgets coverage:Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
