Class discussion of novel artifacts: Nekomimi – Pure possibilities

Some weeks ago we had a number of presentations in class, of artifacts we felt displayed aspects of novel interaction. My chosen artifact was Nekomimi (neurowear.com).

Basically it’s a headpiece that only senses if you’re concentrating or not, in other words measures the amount of electrical activity in your brain. Nothing too fancy, meaning we’re definitely some way from reading distinct thoughts. And still, this does mean we are aldready at a point where we can determine whether or not someone is focusing (on their school work for instance). Imagine a teacher using this in class to see which students are dozing off. Furthermore the Nekomimi might be a boon for kids with ADHD, as a means to train themselves in being calm and more in control of their minds. Maybe it could be combined with traditional Mindfullness, leading to friendly competitions in being calm and in control of their cat ears (mind).

Mindfulness practice, inherited from the Buddhist tradition, is increasingly being employed in Western psychology to alleviate a variety of mental and physical conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and in the prevention of relapse in depression and drug addiction (Wikipedia-Mindfullness).

There were thirteen artifacts presented in all, and I’d like to feature them all in this post.  However the library I’m at is nearing its closing time,  so stay tuned for my next update! I’ll finish this rant with a question. My teacher wondered if this device might pose some privacy issues, what do you think?