First Google Glass became the coveted head piece that pushed wearable technology from a futuristic fantasy into the present.
With the ability to record videos, take photos, view real-time translations and use Google Maps to get directions in the corner of your eye, Google Glass has been the frontrunner of the latest tech craze.
But new gadgets are popping up everyday, headsets with features getting more ambitious and, dare I say it, ridiculous.
A new headset apparently allows you to move objects on a screen using the power of thought alone. BrainLink by Macrotellect is described by the manufacturer as a "portable Brain-Computer Interface head-wearing electronic device" – not the most catchy of descriptions but it definitely sums it up. The device claims to build a wireless connection between the human brain and computers, smartphones and tablets. It apparently achieves brainwave detection using metal sensors attached to the wearer’s forehead. On BBC’s Newsnight, Emily Maitlis interviewed the creator, who was wearing the headset, and who apparently made an image of a strawberry on a tablet explode using his brain. Is this for real? Who knows. The only way to find out is to test it for yourself, so keep an eye out for future stockists.
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Next up is foc.us, a headset specially designed for hardcore gamers. The headset sends an electric current flowing through your brain which apparently speeds up the rate at which you learn skills. This, the creators say, is perfect for gamers who want to be able to react quicker and improve their gaming skills. But sticking discs containing electrodes on the sides of your head just to be able to shoot more bad guys on a game seems a bit far fetched.
Finally, the Brainwear Emotiv Insight is a wireless headset that claims to read your brainwaves. It then translates those signals into data using a mobile app. It can apparently sense your attention skills, your interest levels, how well you relax, your stress levels and when you focus most. It is also claimed that the headset can decipher basic mental commands, such as push, pull, rotate and facial expressions such as winks, smiles and frowns. The aim of the product is to let users track their everyday brain activity and allows them to optimise their brain fitness and performance by monitoring their health and wellbeing.
So headwear seems to be the next big leap for wearable technology. Smart watches and wristbands are now not enough, we want to monitor the human brain and link it with technology, like the way your smartphone is connected to your tablet. Would you be tempted by one of the latest headsets?
