A Baseball Hat That Reads Your Mind

Kimono 05-17-2008

A team of researchers from Taiwan has designed the new bio-signal monitoring system inside a baseball cap with the goal of making it convenient and easy to use in everyday life. Since the system is wireless and portable, and can process data and provide feedback in real time, it could be useful for a variety of indoor and outdoor applications.

“This study details the design, development and testing of a non-invasive mobile and wireless EEG system for continuously monitoring high-temporal resolution brain dynamics without requiring conductive gels applied to the scalp,” researcher Li-Wei Ko from National Chiao-Tung University in Taiwan told PhysOrg.com. “This system has online EEG signal acquisition and real-time signal processing. It can be used in many applications; we just applied it to driving tasks in this work, such as drowsiness.”

Along with Ko, researchers from the National Chiao-Tung University, National Cheng-Kung University, and the University of California, San Diego, have published their study on the brain-computer interface (BCI) system in a recent issue of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

As the researchers explain, by measuring EEG signals, the BCI system can monitor an individual’s physiological and cognitive states. The system takes advantage of advances in sensor and information technology to achieve reduced power consumption and production costs. Currently, the system can operate continuously for about two days before the lithium-ion battery needs to be recharged, but the researchers hope to further increase the lifetime.

The cap contains five embedded dry electrodes on the wearer’s forehead, and one electrode behind the left ear, that acquire EEG signals. Then, the EEG signals are wirelessly transmitted to a data receiver, where they are processed in real-time by a dual-core processor. The BCI system includes Bluetooth transmission for distances of 10m or less (e.g., for driving applications), as well as RF transmission for distances up to 600m (e.g., for potential sports applications). Next, the processed signals are transmitted back to the cap, where the data can be stored, displayed in real-time on a screen, or be used to trigger an audio warning, if necessary.

Nina

Correct me if I'm wrong and maybe it just my thoughts about this, but this is the worse time to read a guys mind is during a game.

Hsoolien

It lets you know he has a healthy and above all well rested mind, you don't want tired drivers or players...

Nina

No I was thinking this was going to be used on the fans actually. Raven is a prime example, I really don't want to know what's going through her mind during a stars game.

Hsoolien

You can't really tell what a person is thinking with one of these, just get an idea of emotional state and potential head trauma

Jessica

Watch Raven during a stars game. I could tell you what she's thinking without the hat. She usually thing "wtf are you doing, omg get off the damn ice!"

Raven

LMFAO! Yeah when I'm watching a game I would make that thing exploid. When they messing up omg I feel like I'm going to explode and throw something at the tv lol.

Hsoolien

Maybe women should be made to wear these, that way when it's not a good time to be talking to you a light on the had says back the fuck off if you like your balls.