The VR Awakening game is controlled by the brain

Announced as the tool of tomorrow, virtual reality has not yet found the solution that will make it accessible to a wide audience. But that could change, with the start-up Neurable presenting the very first video game in virtual reality controlled only with a direct neural interface and a specially adapted HTC Vive headset.

In the field of new technologies, the creation of adapted interfaces has accompanied the main revolutions, whether it is the graphical interface and the mouse for the computer or the touch screen for smartphones. While virtual and augmented reality headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Gear VR and HoloLens help popularize these technologies, the control interfaces to move around these universes, manipulate objects and perform actions are still in their infancy. Most solutions are based on the use of joysticks, gloves or haptic feedback costumes that can feel a virtual object or even experience physical effects such as a punch. Equipment that is added to the already bulky headphones and require an inconvenient implementation. What if our brain was the ideal interface for navigating virtual universes?
This is the bet that Neurable makes. This innovative young company presented at the Siggraph conference the very first video game in virtual reality controlled by brain activity via a direct neural interface. Entitled Awakening, it was co-developed with the Spanish publisher eStudiofuture and is used with a HTC Vive helmet with electrodes. The game is inspired by the Stranger Things series: a child with telekinetic powers trapped in a laboratory must escape by manipulating objects, deflecting laser shots and fighting robots, all without a joystick.
The player triggers an action by focusing his attention on an object. Unlike other EEG systems (electroencephalography), the neuronal interface does not detect brain waves associated with a state of concentration or relaxation but is based on what is called the evoked potential. This is a more accurate signal that occurs when the brain responds to stimulation, such as an image or sound.
The heart of the technology lies at the level of the neural interface and the deep learning algorithm that interprets this information. Plunged into the virtual world of Awakening, the player sees animated objects. As soon as he focuses his attention on one of them and thinks of an action, for example "take", the interaction is accomplished. To capture this signal, it is necessary that the electrodes are arranged on specific areas.Neurable has replaced the headband of a Vive helmet with a device that holds seven electrodes, mainly at the back of the skull. The start-up says that the device can be easily adapted for other models such as the Oculus Rift or Microsoft HoloLens glasses.
Neurable intends to market Awakening sometime next year to video arcades. It also offers a development kit (SDK) compatible with the Unity game engine so that creators can integrate neural interface control into their titles. Eventually, the company hopes to make its solution a generalist user interface that is the "brain mouse" of virtual reality.