The way we control our characters or our actions in virtual reality isn’t that ideal at the moment. It involves the use of physical controllers which may or may not mimic what we see in game. However it seems that companies are exploring the idea of using our brains to control VR, and HTC’s latest investment seems to lean towards that.
The company has recently unveiled that they’ve invested in 26 startups through its Vive X program, one of which is a company called Neurable. For those wondering why they sound familiar, it is because Neurable is one of the companies investing in brain control VR, and HTC’s investment should help speed things along.
The company uses EEG signals for real-time interaction input, and combines the research from neuroscience and machine learning, all of which should allow users to interact within the VR space using just their mind. That being said, brain-controllable devices aren’t exactly new. We have seen how companies have created brain-controlled gadgets like wheelchairs, or for more novel purposes, brain-controlled drones.
Whether or not this will be more effective than using physical controls, and whether or not it will come to fruition and released as a consumer product remains to be seen, but it is one avenue that could be worth exploring.
Filed in . Read more about HTC and Virtual Reality (VR).