Mindflex

Mindflex is a toy by Mattel by which, according to its description, the operator uses their brain waves to steer a ball through an obstacle course. Brain waves are registered by the enclosed EEG headset, which allows the user to control an air stream by concentrating, thus lifting or lowering a foam ball that is that trapped in the airflow due to the Coandă effect.^[1] The game was released in the fall of 2009,^[2] and uses the same microchip as the MindSet from NeuroSky and homebuilt EEG machines.^[3]

Controversy

Despite the science behind the technology developed by Mattel, outside scientists have questioned whether the toy actually measures brain waves or just randomly moves the ball, exploiting the well-known illusion of control.^[4][5] However, despite the John-Dylan Haynes experiments, supporters of the game stand behind the research that went into the development of Mindflex, and believe that the headset does indeed read EEGs.^[3]

See also

• Consumer brain–computer interfaces
• Brain-Computer Interface