How we control video games has changed a lot since the first DualShock controller for the original PlayStation. We've seen different types of controllers, ranging from ones with dual thumbsticks to controllers that rely on motion. However, we've never come across a controller that works in conjunction with the mind -- until now, that is.
Researchers at Stanford University managed to create a controller that is capable of reading the mind. Basically, the controller should have the ability to change the difficulty of the game if the controller realizes from your brain waves that you're not having a hard time with a particular level.
Such a device could make video games less challenging for many, but that's if they are OK with a controller reading their brain waves.
The mind-reading controller was created by Corey McCall. We understand that McCall modified an Xbox 360 controller by removing the battery compartment and replacing it with a "3D printed plastic module" that is used to monitor the player's heart rate and blood flow.
Additionally, the controller is also capable of measuring a person's breath rate, and how deeply they are breathing. It can also track a second heart rate measurement, and has the ability to know the rate at which a player shakes the controller. All this is made possible due to built-in accelerometers inside the controller.
"You can see the expression of a person's autonomic nervous system in their heart rate and skin temperature and respiration rate, and by measuring those outputs, we can understand what's happening in the brain almost instantaneously," said McCall, the leader on the game controller project.
There was a demonstration at CES 2014 highlighting what this controller is capable of doing. McCall thinks that by gathering biometric feedback, game developers could create more immersive worlds. As of now, the mind-reading controller is a prototype that might never come to market. Furthermore, there's a high chance this controller might find itself useful outside of the gaming medium.
"If a player wants maximum engagement and excitement, we can measure when they are getting bored and, for example, introduce more zombies into the level," McCall said. "We can also control the game for children. If parents are concerned that their children are getting too wrapped up in the game, we can tone it down or remind them that it's time for a healthy break."
