Gearfuse Technology, Science, Culture & More
In recent years, there has been an influx of innovative games and technological achievements to improve player experiences when gaming online. Advances in technology have allowed developers to create immersive gaming experiences, allowing players to create their own worlds and communities. These advances are also noticeable in other sectors including online casinos. However, there has been an even more exciting leap forward in gaming technology – neurogaming, where for years scientists have been trying to design games that can be managed with brain activity.
Before all the knowledge and investigation around the link between the human brain and playing games online, things have evolved and improved in many ways, starting with the graphics and music used to develop games. The graphics, audio, and overall design elements are usually taken care of by a dedicated department, where a lot of money is invested to offer players the best gaming technology. This is especially the case in the booming realm of online casinos, where new platforms and games are popping up daily. The games featured on these platforms allow players to interact with live dealers, claim exciting in-game bonuses, and more recently, be immersed in gameplay thanks to VR.
All the research put into neurogaming technology is with the sole purpose of making things easier, designing better graphics and providing an overall magical experience every time gamers play online.
What is neurogaming?
This is an exciting and innovative way to play video games and games online. Rather than simply sitting and interacting with a computer via controls, neurogaming allows players to interact with the game directly. Through brain waves, players can perform actions directly within the game. But how does it work?
Well, neurogaming uses direct neural interface technology (DNI) which means that, using sensitive voltmeters, the brain waves are charged through. These are placed on the player’s head and the computer then processes and subsequently, interprets these brain waves. As such, the player directly interacts with the computer through thought.
It works because when humans think about something, specific brain waves are emited. The computer can measure these, transmitting them to the program. Impressively, the computer program can discern the difference between concentration levels. Then, it can process the data provided by the brain waves to act in the game.
Additionally, this technology even considers the fact that no brain is the same. The first step in using neurogaming technology is for the tech to take a look at the person’s brain and see how it works. In this way, the brain waves are interpreted much more precisely, adapting to each player for more accurate, engaging gameplay.
Once in place, DNI tech allows players to play the game without any physical controls. Only the use of the helmet and the movements of the player are required to perform actions in the game itself.
We have no doubt neurogaming will influence the development of all kinds of online games and devices, from playing match-three games on your phone like Candy Crush to spinning the reels of your favorite slot from your laptop.
Neurogaming and mental health
While this is an impressive leap forward when it comes to games and player engagement, neurogaming has additional applications. Many in the neuroscience field feel that this new style of gaming could help in diagnoses of different psychological conditions. Not only that, but researchers believe that this technology will also be able to help brains stay healthy by keeping the brain entertained for longer. It will be able to raise these issues by looking at sign posts in the performance of each individual.
Finally, these technological advances can benefit the healthcare industry by helping healthcare practitioners treat mental disorders such as Alzheimers or schizophrenia. Other potential applications include insomnia and negative or low emotions.
Current limitations
While this is a hugely exciting step in the world of gaming and technology as a whole, the technology is still limited and undergoing usability testing. Researchers are still in the process of studying this technology, even though it does exist for use. With its various applications, it is still important to make sure that it is used effectively. Its usefulness for video games has come as somewhat of a surprise. As such, a more specialized game version of this technology is likely to be created, making it more adept at interpreting brain waves for enhanced gameplay.
Additionally, the tech itself is still limited and cannot be released to the general market. This is because the technology can still only read a small number of brain waves and mental patterns. This means that it still takes computers a long time to read and understand the output from the brain, resulting in much slower responses. This is why this technology needs time to improve before it can be properly implemented in the gaming industry. For better usage, it will need to use several other physiological measures like heart rate, pupil movement, and expressions.
