The Neurosky is falling!

Into fun-filled children's toys, that is! Everyone's favorite EMG, I mean no, wait TOTALLY EEG from one dry electrode because they have either signed a pact with Satan or they aren't using brain signals, has been in talks to integrate Neurosky into several toys designed by Sega Toys.

Now, I love me some BCI in the consumer marketplace, but this is starting to get a little out of hand. It was funny when Emotiv showed off the Cap of Infinite Dorkiness(tm), but Neurosky better post some concurrent EMG recordings that show they are actually using EEG before I believe it (I'm talking wet electrode, established 'real' techniques). Until then, I'll say it again, you are only getting covert muscle movements, not EEG. There's a reason EEG studies use 128 electrodes with skin abrasion and conductive gel. Oh wait, no, it is kinda fun to torture the volunteering undergrads, but no, no, it does have a real purpose.

Bah! Anyways, here's the media blitz. Here here here.

May the Farce be with You!

Picked up from Yahoo! News, and here, there is a company called NeuroSky in Silicon Valley, which aims to bring 'force-like' jedi powers to gamers. Just strap on the a single, dry electrode and voila! Awesome neural control! Strangely enough, the pictures on the website place the electrode right on the forehead. Let's see - when I concentrate, I tend to squint or furrow my brow. That contracts my occipitofrontalis muscle, right below the electrode, and results in a signal roughly 1000x's the strength of the EEG, and across all frequencies used by EEG. At the same time, I might clench my jaw, which would activate about 4 other large facial muscle groups.
Call me skeptical, but a single high impedance surface electrode ain't gonna tell you too much. Now, using the EMG signal isn't too bad of an idea if it still gives you some idea of the facial expression, but I doubt the product would have the same allure.