Chaotic Moon Labs drew a lot of attention last month at CES 2012 with its motion controlled "Board of Awesomeness," a longboard that a rider controls by gesturing at a Kinect sensor on the front. Apparently though, that was just the beginning. So, how could the studio possibly improve on a skateboard that starts and stops just by having a person move their hands? By not having the rider move at all. The latest creation, the aptly named "Board of Imagination," moves forward just by having a user think about it while wearing an Emotiv EPOC headset.
The Board of Imagination uses most of the same components as its predecessor. A phidget interface module and an 800-watt electric motor underneath the board connect to a prototype Windows 8 tablet on the top, which monitors the controls and can adjust speed settings. The board can reach speeds up to 32 mph (51 km/h) and drive off-road thanks to a set of all-terrain tires.
The key difference is of course the Emotiv EPOC headset, that the rider wears to track their brainwaves and transmit the data to the tablet. With the headset synced to the board, the wearer only has to think about where they want to go, and the board will move along with their thoughts. The user can control speed and braking with their newfound telekinesis, but steering still requires leaning like on a traditional skateboard.
To see the Board of Imagination in action check out the video below, which looks like it could have been a deleted scene from a superhero movie.
Source: Chaotic Moon Labs