Video gaming is primarily a sport of the brain, so to exercise this “muscle” it you need specialty equipment. Electric neurostimulators have been used for years in therapy and as an adjunct to exercise, but now a new device lets you use transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to “increase the plasticity of your brain,” according to Focus Labs, the company that makes it. It’s mostly geared toward video gamers that want to improve their hand-eye coordination and get an edge on opponents, but if the system really does improve individual performance, perhaps one day we’ll see it used by clinical specialists like surgeons and trauma docs during procedures to improve focus and prevent mistakes. It’s controlled via Bluetooth through an iOS device like an iPad or iPhone, and you can set the strength of the current and duration for your particular needs. Now, no playing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at home, even if you can figure out how to hook up more power to the thing.
Engadget is reporting that Focus has just received certification from the Federal Communications Commission and plans on shipping the device very soon. No FDA approval though, but it probably doesn’t need it since “this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
Here’s a short video showing off the device and the CEO of the company being interviewed by Nerd Stalker:
(hat tip: Engadget)
Product page: foc.us…