We are living in a world that is becoming more interactive as days go by. We used to have buttons on our mobile phones, now phones with touchscreens are ruling the market. With the continued advancement of our technology today, we are not only capable of upgrading what we have, but also making the impossible possible.
One of the hardest and most interesting things to study is the mind. It has fascinated mankind since we’ve had the knowledge to build anything. Then, in the late 19th century, psychokinesis became a legit object of study.
Former Apprentice star Tre Azam has set up Myndplay to produce movies or other multimedia forms that can be controlled with the mind.
According to the MyndPlay website, it “was conceived as an idea to provide brain training through entertainment using revolutionary (electroencephalograph) EEG technology; with MyndPlay the viewer not only has control over the content and a lot of fun, but also develops control over their own emotions which transfer into everyday life. This allows MyndPlay to work with not just movies and films, but applications ranging from peak performance in sports through mental training, to controlling your nerves on a date, MyndPlay has been designed to be as flexible as possible allowing the greatest amount of content to be produced both professionally and by enthusiasts.”
This technology is not just a media player; it also allows filmmakers to create custom applications to their media. The website also explains that the technology adds social elements to users’ viewing experience by giving them multiplayer functionality that enables two people to compete on screen.
How MyndPlay works
MyndPlay is a media player that connects with a person’s brainwaves through EEG BCI technology headsets that is used to pick up, decode and transmit what the person is feeling via the activity in the brain. The company has developed the Mind Interactive Media Experience (MIME) technology that enables their specific headsets, which was developed by Silicon Valley-based NeuroSky, to communicate with the media player.
This new technology is like a new version of Choose Your Own Adventure books that can be used in movies. Films that use MyndPlay tech can now be bought online for 99p to £3.
“It brings a level of interactivity to video that has never been achieved before,” said Myndplay Managing Director Mohammed Azam. “The viewer chooses who lives or dies, whether the good guy or the bad guy wins or whether the hero makes that all-important save.”
Reactions from directors
It was reported that film directors loved the technology. Azam said that the technology gives filmmakers “gives them a new way to see their movie and allows many people to have a different experience based on how they watch it or feel it.”
Unfortunately, users can only control the outcome for MyndPlay’s specially created movies. So for those who wish for William Wallace to survive until the end of the movie will be disappointed as Hollywood movies will stick to their plots… for now.
This technology is just in its early form, but imagine what it could do if we find a way for us to use it for other things. That would be awesome.
via: MyndPlay
