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Biofeedback has always been an interest of mine, and applications of biofeedback technology would with no doubt revolutionise among other things, video gaming. Biofeedback is often confused with a similar technology, EEG biofeedback or neurofeedback. However both biofeedback and neurofeedback are of importance to the gaming community in equal amounts.
I will begin by defining what these technologies are. Biofeedback is technology involved with interfacing electrical activity in the body with a computer. It is a very general concept, and can encapsulate everything in the body, from muscle activity to hearing. Neurofeedback on the other hand is biofeedback technology involved with specifically brain activity. In general terms, what this technology could allow us to is control a computer with our bodies alone, and with no external peripherals, certainly no control pads!
Now, a brief history lesson. Biofeedback technology is not as new and modern as we may believe it to be. In fact, a simple body thermometer could be classed as a biofeedback device, albeit it would probably not be classified as one in the real world. ECG machines which are used to measure heart activity are certainly biofeedback, even by the modern definition. By now you are perhaps wondering why I am linking biofeedback to medicine, and the answer is self explanatory. Biofeedback stemmed from the medical sciences, thus it is not hard to comprehend that it first began utilisable life in the hospital wards. Biotherapy and neurotherapy are wholly new branches of medicine which train people to control a condition by managing the electrical activity in a region of the body. Migraine sufferers can use neurotherapy to effectively control their headaches, and potentially cure them. This all stems from brain waves and electrical activity which presupposes a migraine attack, and the sufferer can stop them in their tracks when the computer analyses an onset. So, a computer can tell when a migraine is going to place, it can also tell when a muscle is moving, so surely there is huge potential for this in the gaming market? This is exactly what games developers are thinking right now.
I will begin with the potential of biofeedback, not neurofeedback just yet, just biofeedback, on the future of gaming. Sensors could potentially be attached to the body, and responses elicited in the computer. Every twitch in a muscle could be captured by the console and exploited by the game. This technology is real, and is used in the development of lifelike 3D movement in games today. So what is their really to stop this technology being used in reverse, and in the games by the player himself? Potentially nothing, technology such as this would revolutionise the way we interact with our games. Imagine a boxing game, which actually resonded with pinpoint accuracy with the punches we throw. There would be no more limits set by the controller, just fluid, accurate, boxers throwing the punches we want them to throw.
Now moving on to the amazing potential in gaming posessed by the more specific, and perhaps more groundbreaking technology, neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, as mentioned, is technology for measuring brain activity. To control a computer with only the power of brains is a concept that has been relished by sci-fi writers for centuries, but now it is real technology. By training the software to respond to our individual activity can allow it to decode and manipulate the activity in terms of real commands. The computer can effectively, with enough tuition, understand what we want it to do, and all of this without even moving a muscle. Obviously the potential for gaming has already been touched upon, and commerical games are available solely for neurofeedback control. Albeit these games are not the pinnacle of gaming technology, but they show the potential. Lunar Docker, a neurofeedback game, allows the 'brainmaster' to precisely land a ship on a planet.
However, the major limitation in bringing this technology to the masses has always been cost. This technology has always been cutting-edge, and to bring it into commerical production would take a very willing and risk-taking company. Thus Microsoft seem to have taken the helm of this project, and it is more likely than ever that this technology will first appear on the XBox. I remember a watching a Microsoft employee on the news playing a game of Halo only using the power of his mind! This would truly put an end to the bickering and squabbling between mates and their supposed control pad errors! However, the fact that Microsoft have taken an interest, only underlines the fact that this technology is becoming more viable. Scouring the internet today, rudimentary neurofeedback devices are available for the PC for roughly £200.
If this technology is becoming more commercially plausible, could it be possible in the near distant future to effectively combine these technologies into a conceptual 'game-suit'? The future of videogaming would be dramatically changed, AI would perhaps be less of a concern, as the thinking and moving is coming direct from the player. The player could control the movement of the character on screen, communicate, and every other unimaginable effect that this technology could bring without even having to touch a controller. This is undoubtedly the future of gaming, and is not too far ahead of us today.
In the past, biofeedback and neurofeedback technology alike have always been reserved for the medically impaired. It is a revolutionary technology for disbled patients to interact with computer technology. It instills a new dimension in their way of life, and even allows them to surf the web, play games, and communicate with computer voice modulation. Biofeedback technology is also crucially important in the realms of biotherapy and neurotherapy, allowing patients to manage and even cure diseases using a non-invasive and non-chemical method. In the medical sciences this technology is paramount, but to the modern home gamer, it is very likely to be the next big step in game interaction. It surely cannot be long until developers take hold of this massive technology, and Microsoft are undoubtedly the company who can make it commercial. Imagine the slogan, 'XBox, Think More!'
I will begin by defining what these technologies are. Biofeedback is technology involved with interfacing electrical activity in the body with a computer. It is a very general concept, and can encapsulate everything in the body, from muscle activity to hearing. Neurofeedback on the other hand is biofeedback technology involved with specifically brain activity. In general terms, what this technology could allow us to is control a computer with our bodies alone, and with no external peripherals, certainly no control pads!
Now, a brief history lesson. Biofeedback technology is not as new and modern as we may believe it to be. In fact, a simple body thermometer could be classed as a biofeedback device, albeit it would probably not be classified as one in the real world. ECG machines which are used to measure heart activity are certainly biofeedback, even by the modern definition. By now you are perhaps wondering why I am linking biofeedback to medicine, and the answer is self explanatory. Biofeedback stemmed from the medical sciences, thus it is not hard to comprehend that it first began utilisable life in the hospital wards. Biotherapy and neurotherapy are wholly new branches of medicine which train people to control a condition by managing the electrical activity in a region of the body. Migraine sufferers can use neurotherapy to effectively control their headaches, and potentially cure them. This all stems from brain waves and electrical activity which presupposes a migraine attack, and the sufferer can stop them in their tracks when the computer analyses an onset. So, a computer can tell when a migraine is going to place, it can also tell when a muscle is moving, so surely there is huge potential for this in the gaming market? This is exactly what games developers are thinking right now.
I will begin with the potential of biofeedback, not neurofeedback just yet, just biofeedback, on the future of gaming. Sensors could potentially be attached to the body, and responses elicited in the computer. Every twitch in a muscle could be captured by the console and exploited by the game. This technology is real, and is used in the development of lifelike 3D movement in games today. So what is their really to stop this technology being used in reverse, and in the games by the player himself? Potentially nothing, technology such as this would revolutionise the way we interact with our games. Imagine a boxing game, which actually resonded with pinpoint accuracy with the punches we throw. There would be no more limits set by the controller, just fluid, accurate, boxers throwing the punches we want them to throw.
Now moving on to the amazing potential in gaming posessed by the more specific, and perhaps more groundbreaking technology, neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, as mentioned, is technology for measuring brain activity. To control a computer with only the power of brains is a concept that has been relished by sci-fi writers for centuries, but now it is real technology. By training the software to respond to our individual activity can allow it to decode and manipulate the activity in terms of real commands. The computer can effectively, with enough tuition, understand what we want it to do, and all of this without even moving a muscle. Obviously the potential for gaming has already been touched upon, and commerical games are available solely for neurofeedback control. Albeit these games are not the pinnacle of gaming technology, but they show the potential. Lunar Docker, a neurofeedback game, allows the 'brainmaster' to precisely land a ship on a planet.
However, the major limitation in bringing this technology to the masses has always been cost. This technology has always been cutting-edge, and to bring it into commerical production would take a very willing and risk-taking company. Thus Microsoft seem to have taken the helm of this project, and it is more likely than ever that this technology will first appear on the XBox. I remember a watching a Microsoft employee on the news playing a game of Halo only using the power of his mind! This would truly put an end to the bickering and squabbling between mates and their supposed control pad errors! However, the fact that Microsoft have taken an interest, only underlines the fact that this technology is becoming more viable. Scouring the internet today, rudimentary neurofeedback devices are available for the PC for roughly £200.
If this technology is becoming more commercially plausible, could it be possible in the near distant future to effectively combine these technologies into a conceptual 'game-suit'? The future of videogaming would be dramatically changed, AI would perhaps be less of a concern, as the thinking and moving is coming direct from the player. The player could control the movement of the character on screen, communicate, and every other unimaginable effect that this technology could bring without even having to touch a controller. This is undoubtedly the future of gaming, and is not too far ahead of us today.
In the past, biofeedback and neurofeedback technology alike have always been reserved for the medically impaired. It is a revolutionary technology for disbled patients to interact with computer technology. It instills a new dimension in their way of life, and even allows them to surf the web, play games, and communicate with computer voice modulation. Biofeedback technology is also crucially important in the realms of biotherapy and neurotherapy, allowing patients to manage and even cure diseases using a non-invasive and non-chemical method. In the medical sciences this technology is paramount, but to the modern home gamer, it is very likely to be the next big step in game interaction. It surely cannot be long until developers take hold of this massive technology, and Microsoft are undoubtedly the company who can make it commercial. Imagine the slogan, 'XBox, Think More!'
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Biofeedback has always been an interest of mine, and applications of biofeedback technology would with no doubt revolutionise among other things, video gaming. Biofeedback is often confused with a similar technology, EEG biofeedback or neurofeedback. However both biofeedback and neurofeedback are of importance to the gaming community in equal amounts.
I will begin by defining what these technologies are. Biofeedback is technology involved with interfacing electrical activity in the body with a computer. It is a very general concept, and can encapsulate everything in the body, from muscle activity to hearing. Neurofeedback on the other hand is biofeedback technology involved with specifically brain activity. In general terms, what this technology could allow us to is control a computer with our bodies alone, and with no external peripherals, certainly no control pads!
Now, a brief history lesson. Biofeedback technology is not as new and modern as we may believe it to be. In fact, a simple body thermometer could be classed as a biofeedback device, albeit it would probably not be classified as one in the real world. ECG machines which are used to measure heart activity are certainly biofeedback, even by the modern definition. By now you are perhaps wondering why I am linking biofeedback to medicine, and the answer is self explanatory. Biofeedback stemmed from the medical sciences, thus it is not hard to comprehend that it first began utilisable life in the hospital wards. Biotherapy and neurotherapy are wholly new branches of medicine which train people to control a condition by managing the electrical activity in a region of the body. Migraine sufferers can use neurotherapy to effectively control their headaches, and potentially cure them. This all stems from brain waves and electrical activity which presupposes a migraine attack, and the sufferer can stop them in their tracks when the computer analyses an onset. So, a computer can tell when a migraine is going to place, it can also tell when a muscle is moving, so surely there is huge potential for this in the gaming market? This is exactly what games developers are thinking right now.
I will begin with the potential of biofeedback, not neurofeedback just yet, just biofeedback, on the future of gaming. Sensors could potentially be attached to the body, and responses elicited in the computer. Every twitch in a muscle could be captured by the console and exploited by the game. This technology is real, and is used in the development of lifelike 3D movement in games today. So what is their really to stop this technology being used in reverse, and in the games by the player himself? Potentially nothing, technology such as this would revolutionise the way we interact with our games. Imagine a boxing game, which actually resonded with pinpoint accuracy with the punches we throw. There would be no more limits set by the controller, just fluid, accurate, boxers throwing the punches we want them to throw.
Now moving on to the amazing potential in gaming posessed by the more specific, and perhaps more groundbreaking technology, neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, as mentioned, is technology for measuring brain activity. To control a computer with only the power of brains is a concept that has been relished by sci-fi writers for centuries, but now it is real technology. By training the software to respond to our individual activity can allow it to decode and manipulate the activity in terms of real commands. The computer can effectively, with enough tuition, understand what we want it to do, and all of this without even moving a muscle. Obviously the potential for gaming has already been touched upon, and commerical games are available solely for neurofeedback control. Albeit these games are not the pinnacle of gaming technology, but they show the potential. Lunar Docker, a neurofeedback game, allows the 'brainmaster' to precisely land a ship on a planet.
However, the major limitation in bringing this technology to the masses has always been cost. This technology has always been cutting-edge, and to bring it into commerical production would take a very willing and risk-taking company. Thus Microsoft seem to have taken the helm of this project, and it is more likely than ever that this technology will first appear on the XBox. I remember a watching a Microsoft employee on the news playing a game of Halo only using the power of his mind! This would truly put an end to the bickering and squabbling between mates and their supposed control pad errors! However, the fact that Microsoft have taken an interest, only underlines the fact that this technology is becoming more viable. Scouring the internet today, rudimentary neurofeedback devices are available for the PC for roughly £200.
If this technology is becoming more commercially plausible, could it be possible in the near distant future to effectively combine these technologies into a conceptual 'game-suit'? The future of videogaming would be dramatically changed, AI would perhaps be less of a concern, as the thinking and moving is coming direct from the player. The player could control the movement of the character on screen, communicate, and every other unimaginable effect that this technology could bring without even having to touch a controller. This is undoubtedly the future of gaming, and is not too far ahead of us today.
In the past, biofeedback and neurofeedback technology alike have always been reserved for the medically impaired. It is a revolutionary technology for disbled patients to interact with computer technology. It instills a new dimension in their way of life, and even allows them to surf the web, play games, and communicate with computer voice modulation. Biofeedback technology is also crucially important in the realms of biotherapy and neurotherapy, allowing patients to manage and even cure diseases using a non-invasive and non-chemical method. In the medical sciences this technology is paramount, but to the modern home gamer, it is very likely to be the next big step in game interaction. It surely cannot be long until developers take hold of this massive technology, and Microsoft are undoubtedly the company who can make it commercial. Imagine the slogan, 'XBox, Think More!'
I will begin by defining what these technologies are. Biofeedback is technology involved with interfacing electrical activity in the body with a computer. It is a very general concept, and can encapsulate everything in the body, from muscle activity to hearing. Neurofeedback on the other hand is biofeedback technology involved with specifically brain activity. In general terms, what this technology could allow us to is control a computer with our bodies alone, and with no external peripherals, certainly no control pads!
Now, a brief history lesson. Biofeedback technology is not as new and modern as we may believe it to be. In fact, a simple body thermometer could be classed as a biofeedback device, albeit it would probably not be classified as one in the real world. ECG machines which are used to measure heart activity are certainly biofeedback, even by the modern definition. By now you are perhaps wondering why I am linking biofeedback to medicine, and the answer is self explanatory. Biofeedback stemmed from the medical sciences, thus it is not hard to comprehend that it first began utilisable life in the hospital wards. Biotherapy and neurotherapy are wholly new branches of medicine which train people to control a condition by managing the electrical activity in a region of the body. Migraine sufferers can use neurotherapy to effectively control their headaches, and potentially cure them. This all stems from brain waves and electrical activity which presupposes a migraine attack, and the sufferer can stop them in their tracks when the computer analyses an onset. So, a computer can tell when a migraine is going to place, it can also tell when a muscle is moving, so surely there is huge potential for this in the gaming market? This is exactly what games developers are thinking right now.
I will begin with the potential of biofeedback, not neurofeedback just yet, just biofeedback, on the future of gaming. Sensors could potentially be attached to the body, and responses elicited in the computer. Every twitch in a muscle could be captured by the console and exploited by the game. This technology is real, and is used in the development of lifelike 3D movement in games today. So what is their really to stop this technology being used in reverse, and in the games by the player himself? Potentially nothing, technology such as this would revolutionise the way we interact with our games. Imagine a boxing game, which actually resonded with pinpoint accuracy with the punches we throw. There would be no more limits set by the controller, just fluid, accurate, boxers throwing the punches we want them to throw.
Now moving on to the amazing potential in gaming posessed by the more specific, and perhaps more groundbreaking technology, neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, as mentioned, is technology for measuring brain activity. To control a computer with only the power of brains is a concept that has been relished by sci-fi writers for centuries, but now it is real technology. By training the software to respond to our individual activity can allow it to decode and manipulate the activity in terms of real commands. The computer can effectively, with enough tuition, understand what we want it to do, and all of this without even moving a muscle. Obviously the potential for gaming has already been touched upon, and commerical games are available solely for neurofeedback control. Albeit these games are not the pinnacle of gaming technology, but they show the potential. Lunar Docker, a neurofeedback game, allows the 'brainmaster' to precisely land a ship on a planet.
However, the major limitation in bringing this technology to the masses has always been cost. This technology has always been cutting-edge, and to bring it into commerical production would take a very willing and risk-taking company. Thus Microsoft seem to have taken the helm of this project, and it is more likely than ever that this technology will first appear on the XBox. I remember a watching a Microsoft employee on the news playing a game of Halo only using the power of his mind! This would truly put an end to the bickering and squabbling between mates and their supposed control pad errors! However, the fact that Microsoft have taken an interest, only underlines the fact that this technology is becoming more viable. Scouring the internet today, rudimentary neurofeedback devices are available for the PC for roughly £200.
If this technology is becoming more commercially plausible, could it be possible in the near distant future to effectively combine these technologies into a conceptual 'game-suit'? The future of videogaming would be dramatically changed, AI would perhaps be less of a concern, as the thinking and moving is coming direct from the player. The player could control the movement of the character on screen, communicate, and every other unimaginable effect that this technology could bring without even having to touch a controller. This is undoubtedly the future of gaming, and is not too far ahead of us today.
In the past, biofeedback and neurofeedback technology alike have always been reserved for the medically impaired. It is a revolutionary technology for disbled patients to interact with computer technology. It instills a new dimension in their way of life, and even allows them to surf the web, play games, and communicate with computer voice modulation. Biofeedback technology is also crucially important in the realms of biotherapy and neurotherapy, allowing patients to manage and even cure diseases using a non-invasive and non-chemical method. In the medical sciences this technology is paramount, but to the modern home gamer, it is very likely to be the next big step in game interaction. It surely cannot be long until developers take hold of this massive technology, and Microsoft are undoubtedly the company who can make it commercial. Imagine the slogan, 'XBox, Think More!'