Welcome

as a weekly practice I listen to npr and do a little sketch on one of the stories. take a look, you can click on the illustration to make it bigger!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Levitation Toys Really Test Brain Power



Remember playing with dolls or action figures, using your imagination to create fantastic worlds in your own bedroom? New toys due out later this year also use the power of the mind -– but these playthings are actually controlled by brain waves.

With both Mattel's "Mind Flex" and Uncle Milton's "The Force Trainer," the goal is to focus your thoughts in order to levitate a ball. There are no blinking lights or 3-D graphics -– just a wireless headset, a lightweight ball and a fan. Both toys use a modified form of electroencephalography — or EEG — technology to measure electrical signals emitted by the brain, says Jim Sullivan of NeuroSky, the company that created the technology that makes the toys work.

The signals are applied to algorithms that were developed by researchers after careful study of people in various states of attention, Sullivan says. With the right focus, the signals trigger a fan. The harder the player concentrates, the stronger the fan blows — and the higher the ball elevates. Both toys will be priced somewhere in the $80 to $100 range.

-excerpt from NPR

2 comments:

mel b said...

This blog is fantastic! I look forward to the cartoons every morning! It's a super informative and creative blog that has a lot of charm and character.

Magistral699 said...

Now just with an internet connection, you can turn your TV into a smart TV. You can easily watch movies, sports. news etc. There is No more freezing, stuttering. The IPTV Services are always ready with our powerful streaming servers. Also, you can get the best iptv services with a re-selling plan, compatibility, server stability, just at a good price.