Emotiv was founded in Sydney Australia and is now based in San Francisco. Its product is a combination of hardware and software that reads brainwaves and enables users to control certain game actions through the power of concentration. The hardware is a headset that can detect and interpret brain activity. Using a series of sensors, the headset "tunes in" to electric signals naturally produced by the brain. Like a joystick or mouse, this headset is a stand-alone device that works in tandem with gaming hardware platforms, from consoles to PCs. It wirelessly communicates with game consoles and PCs. The software translates the player’s emotions taking into account the variability between individuals. It utilizes a calibration process to ascertain the individual signatures of emotions. It is powered by the Emotiv Engine, which interprets the emotions and expressions that the headset detects. It generates data that can be used to influence game play. Since the engine is integrated into the mechanics of the headset, the impact on a game's processing times is virtually undetectable.By allowing mind-control and involving the gamers’ emotions, the system could create a whole new category of games that does not exist at the moment: games with emotion content. As a result, there is the potential to increase the size of the current market for games by creating games that will engage and appeal to a wider audience than targeted by current games. Other applications for Emotiv’s technology can span industries such as medical, security, interactive television and market research.
The people involved with Emotiv have interesting pedigrees:
Tan Le – Co-founder and President is a technology entrepreneur. Before she joined Emotiv, Tan co-founded and ran SASme, a provider of SMPP platforms to telecommunication carriers and content aggregators. Tan has also worked with one of Australia's leading law firms, Freehills. In 1998, Tan was named Young Australian of the Year (the most prestigious prize for an Australian) and voted one of Australia's 30 Most Successful Women Under 30.
Nam Do – Co-founder and CEO. Prior to forming Emotiv, Nam co-founded SASme with Tan. At the age of nine, Nam was selected to join a special program in Mathematics and Physics at the National School for Gifted Students in Vietnam. In 1995, Nam won one of Vietnam's most prestigious scholarships for study abroad. In 1996, Nam came to Australia's RMIT University under a scholarship program for students with exceptional academic ability and leadership potential.
Randy Breen – Chief Product Officer - Randy Breen is a legend within the electronic games industry. Prior to joining Emotiv, Randy was the Vice President and Head of Development at LucasArts. Prior to LucasArts, Randy worked at Electronic Arts, where he was responsible for the creation and production of the Road Rash™ game franchise.
Ed Fries – Director on Emotiv’s Board – was one of the founding developers of Excel and Word and the creator of Microsoft Games Studios. He left Microsoft in 2004.
