A key limitation of neuromarketing studies that employ brain scan technology has been convenience. fMRI, of course, presents major problems: ultra-costly equipment, a noisy and confined space, inability to move, etc. EEG, which uses external electrodes in a cap-like array, has been the simpler, faster approach, but fully wiring up a person has still been a bit cumbersome. Now Neurofocus has pushed EEG technology forward with their new Mynd™ headset. According to the firm, this new headset offers major advantages over past technology:
- Full-brain coverage with dense-array EEG (electroencephalographic) sensors. Full-brain measurement is the universal neuroscientific standard applied in the world’s premier laboratories and educational institutions.
- Within seconds of slipping the user-friendly headset on, a consumer’s brainwave activity is captured across the full cortex.
- Wireless transmission of brainwave signals; capable of interfacing with any Bluetooth-enabled mobile communications device.
- Dry “smart” electrodes (sensors), eliminating the use of gels and enhancing signal quality by introducing novel technological breakthroughs.
- Enables first full-brain coverage home panels for market research.
- Comfortable, lightweight, aesthetically pleasing modular design with easily-replaceable sensors.
[From NeuroFocus Announces World’s First Wireless Full-Brain EEG Measurement Headset: Mynd™
There’s little doubt that convenience factors such as dry electrodes and easy portability will facilitate studies that more closely simulate normal, real-world behaviors like shopping in a supermarket or watching TV in a home setting.
In addition to neuromarketing uses, there may be clinical applications for the new headset. The European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium (TOBI) will use Mynd as part of developing technology to assist people with neurological disabilities.
The Mynd headset is actually not the first dry, wireless full-brain headset, so their release of such a product does not add any capabilities that were not already possible. A company called QUASAR (http://www.quasarusa.com) launch a headset like this in 2010, and it is already available for purchase.
In addition, neither of these systems can truly be considered “dense array,” though the positioning of the sensors on QUASAR’s headset appear to be much closer to the International 10/20 system than Mynds. This means that results from a studying using QUASAR’s headset can easily be compared to other EEG studies and can be replicated using any 10/20 style setup.