Wearing a helmet while biking is important, and if you needed any motivation to strap a head protector on, this mind-reading gear could do the trick. Kickstarter project MindRider looks like an ordinary bicycle helmet, albeit one that’s suffered a few blows. Underneath its jagged exterior, however, is a complex system that monitors brainwave activity.
“The MindRider helmet translates your mind’s engagement levels through a comfortable soft sensor embedded in the helmet’s foam. This forehead sensor is part of a BCI (brain-computer interface) that uses EEG (electroencephalography) to measure signals from your brain and translate them into a level of engagement,” the campaign’s Kickstarter page explains. “Your engagement is then color-coded on a gradient ranging from green (relaxed) to red (sharply focused), and displayed on a small color-changing light. MindRider uses BLE (Bluetooth low energy) to connect with your compatible mobile device. The MindRider app adds your data to an interactive map.”
Using the device, the creators at DuKorp hope to help cyclists gauge what routes are the most relaxing—or most engaging—for them. Riders will also be able to share their findings with other MindRider users and thus be able to see which sections of an area are the most relaxing or challenging.
So far, MindRider has raised almost $3,000 of its (lofty) $200,000 goal, which must be met by July 10.
Photo via MindRider/Kickstarter