Telekinetic VR

In light of a book I've been working on, which you can read about here, I thought I might do a bit of digging on brain-computer interfaces (BCI's) for Virtual Reality headsets. Yeah, that's right. Movement in VR with your mind, like in the movies.

I've always thought this technology was still far ahead to come but in fact, as Karev reports (2018), VR technologies are evolving much faster than consumer versions of headsets can be released. So, never underestimate the rate of the development of technology.

These are the times where EEG technology, which is used to diagnose epilepsy, sleep disorders or other abnormalities, and show whether you are focused, stressed or relaxed, is being used to navigate a VR environment telekinesis-style, by measuring electric activity in the brain caused by the flow of electric currents through neurons by sensors that make contact with the skin on your scalp, (Karev, 2018).

These electric signals can be used to decode something specific, like the intent to scroll or press a button. Unfortunately (or fortunately in the scope of privacy) EEG's cannot read minds. Much like how Stephan Hawkin's interface interpreted facial movements into letters through sensors. Or, like how bionic arms sense electric pulses from muscle movements to function.

Not only is this technology (BCI) a breakthrough for the gaming industry, but it also helps in assisting the disabled because BCI's are often used as assisted living devices for individuals with motor or sensory impairments (nature.com).

In my book, the protagonists are dating long-distance through VR headsets. Where the environment can be navigated and manipulated by the mind through non-invasive signals (i.e. no brain implants required), like with EEG's. It's rather uncanny how this concept is not too far from the future. It's at our doorsteps. We just need to wait for Tinder to catch up on it ;)

References:

Karev, K. (2018) Behold The Next Generation VR Technology: Part 6 - Brain Interface [online] Available at: https://medium.com/inborn-experience/behold-the-next-generation-vr-technology-part-6-brain-interface-89b1d31a0a96 [Accessed on 26 August 2019]

Nature.com (n.d.) Brain-machine interface [online] Available from: https://www.nature.com/subjects/brain-machine-interface [Accessed 26 August 2019]