CES 2013: Haier shows off Brain Wave TV (again)

Haier Brain Wave TV at CES 2013 Photo credits: http://www.techradar.com

It might not be the most revolutionary news from CES 2013 but it is the first one that really concerns us. As part of its Smart TV range, Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer Haier Electronics showcased Brain Wave TV at CES, a device that interacts with viewers via NeuroSky’s brain-computer interface headset.

Although the brain-controlled TV is an exciting idea, especially for disabled people, the product itself is not new. You might remember we covered the topic more than two years ago when Haier announced “the world’s first brain-computer interface technology Smart TV” at IFA 2011. The Brai Wave TV was also presented at last year’s CES.

The Brain Wave TV has been developed in partnership with NeuroSky. Longtime readers of Neurogadget should all know by now that NeuroSky’s technology detects human brainwave patterns revealing a person’s mental state. The headset translates the monitored brainwaves into digital signals – that is what Haier’s television can recognize.

According to the manufacturer “the brain-controlled TV applications allow users to develop control over their concentration and relaxation abilities through entertainment applications.”

The Smart Control TV applications include hands-free control of your television and an assortment of specific concentration games designed to help children and adults practice their abilities to focus or relax.

Haier also announced eye-controlled, voice and gesture-control television technologies too, so you can make Kinect-like gestures to change the channel.

Watch a last year’s video of the Brain Wave TV recorded at Haier’s CES booth