sean@think.com (Sean Colbath) (06/18/91)
Around 1984, a friend of mine forwarded me a clip he had seen in Popular Science regarding a new Atari product called "MindLink" that purported to allow you to control your computer with your mind (read: play video games): > Quoted from the September issue of Popular Science, an excerpt > from an article about the latest Consumer Electronic Show > in Chicago: > > '...Atari's "Mindlink" is a band that goes around your head > and connects with the company's new 7800 video game. Result: > no joy stick. Just THINK about where your player should be > on the screen, and it goes there (eventually). It takes > practice...' Presumably this is just a piece of hardware that monitors alpha-waves and you have to train to use it via biofeedback. Does anyone out there know if this product ever really made it to market? Does anyone out there *HAVE* one of these (that they'd be willing to sell)? -- Sean Colbath sean@think.com ...harvard!think!sean "...and now for something completely different..."
norlin@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Norman Lin) (06/18/91)
sean@think.com (Sean Colbath) writes: > > Quoted from the September issue of Popular Science, an excerpt > > from an article about the latest Consumer Electronic Show > > in Chicago: > > > > '...Atari's "Mindlink" is a band that goes around your head > > and connects with the company's new 7800 video game. Result: > > no joy stick. Just THINK about where your player should be > > on the screen, and it goes there (eventually). It takes > > practice...' >Presumably this is just a piece of hardware that monitors alpha-waves and >you have to train to use it via biofeedback. Conceivably, it could be much more mundane; the band could simply monitor tension on the forehead muscles rather than detecting alpha waves. I believe the product "Relax!" by Synapse many, many years ago used a head band that monitored tension as a biofeedback device, with which you could "control" a kaleidoscope display. I never saw the device myself, I just read about it. >-- >Sean Colbath >sean@think.com ...harvard!think!sean >"...and now for something completely different..." ---|\-#-/_|-------/|-------,*.----||---Norman Lin, University of Oklahoma---- ---|/-----|------/-|---,"--|---,"-||------norlin@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu------- --/|------------/-*'---|/------|--||-----(IP addr: 129.15.[20|22|24].2)------ -|/|\---/_|-----|-----------------||-"I gazed in your eyes, and saw the moon- --\|/-----|----*'-----------------||------------and the skies"---------------
boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd) (06/18/91)
In article <1991Jun17.172945.20889@Think.COM>, sean@think.com (Sean Colbath) writes: > >Around 1984, a friend of mine forwarded me a clip he had seen in Popular >Science regarding a new Atari product called "MindLink" that purported to >allow you to control your computer with your mind (read: play video games): >[....] >Presumably this is just a piece of hardware that monitors alpha-waves and >you have to train to use it via biofeedback. Does anyone out there know if >this product ever really made it to market? Does anyone out there *HAVE* >one of these (that they'd be willing to sell)? > Well, I can vouch that such devices used to exist. I remember playing with one on my old Atari 800 (8-bit). I cannot remember the name of the software, but it included a "band" type sensor. The program had three parts. One was a sophisticated biofeedback monitor, one was a really neat graphic/sound demo which was supposed to help you "relax", and finally there was a (very mellow) game. The game had you guide a balloon up through the sky, avoiding mean old clouds and stuff. As a controller, the thing basically emulated a paddle (ie left and right). To get the 9 signals needed for a joystick would take some doing?!?! -- ---------------------------------+------------------------------------- Mickey R. Boyd | "Kirk to Enterprise. All clear FSU Computer Science | down here. Beam down Technical Support Group | yeoman Rand and a six-pack . ." email: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu | ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
dpg@cs.nott.ac.uk (Dave Gymer) (06/18/91)
In article <1991Jun17.172945.20889@Think.COM> sean@think.com (Sean Colbath) writes: >Around 1984, a friend of mine forwarded me a clip he had seen in Popular >Science regarding a new Atari product called "MindLink" that purported to >allow you to control your computer with your mind (read: play video games): > > Quoted from the September issue of Popular Science, an excerpt > > from an article about the latest Consumer Electronic Show > > in Chicago: > > '...Atari's "Mindlink" is a band that goes around your head > > and connects with the company's new 7800 video game. Result: > > no joy stick. Just THINK about where your player should be > > on the screen, and it goes there (eventually). It takes > > practice...' >Presumably this is just a piece of hardware that monitors alpha-waves and >you have to train to use it via biofeedback. Does anyone out there know if >this product ever really made it to market? Does anyone out there *HAVE* >one of these (that they'd be willing to sell)? I seem to remember something like this in the APRIL (yes, **APRIL**) issue of Atari ST User here in the UK a few years ago; think about it... -- /* 'Grave' Dave Gymer --------- Internet: dpg@Cs.Nott.AC.UK *\ +* 42 St Marys Park, Louth, Lincolnshire, LN11 0EF, England *+ +* Olivier's Law: "Experience is something you don't get *+ \*-------------------------- until just after you need it." */
scale@abode.ttank.com (Luis Outumuro) (06/19/91)
Hi Sean, I have a friend in Seattle who has an Atari MindLink, it does exist (although (to my knowledge) it never actually shipped). Unfortunately he has no intention of selling it (or his working 1450XLD!); besides..... I have first dibs! =^) Ha! Bye.................. Luis