What if you want to improve your skills in video games? Practice more? Study the game cards far and wide to know the location of each individual detail? Can I ask professional players for advice? Why not just bring a few electrodes to your head and put an electric charge on your skull? This is exactly what Focus Labs offers, which created the Foc.us device, which, according to the promises of its creators, will help improve your gaming skills by stimulating specific areas of the brain with weak electrical discharges.
Sounds crazy, of course, but according to the creators, the device is based on the method of micro-polarization (Transcranial direct current stimulation - tDCS) - medical practice that has been used for years to change the functional state of various parts of the central nervous system through the action of a small direct current. In the past, due to TCMP (transcranial micropolarization) it was used to treat chronic headaches, migraines, and even to improve a person’s mathematical skills. At the moment, scientists are still studying the effects of this method.
However, in the case of Foc.us, a small electric charge is supposed to have a positive effect on improving gaming skills.
“By stimulating the prefrontal cortex, one can increase the efficiency of memory, alertness and attention while playing,” says device inventor Michael Oxley.
The device itself is based on a low-power processor manufactured by Texas Instruments with Bluetooth and a set of four electrodes. After the device is put on the player's head, it is necessary to choose the right places of contact between the electrodes, which will stimulate brain activity. At the end of each electrode is set sponge soaked in saline solution, which will help avoid skin burns. In addition, you can install additional electrodes that will stimulate other parts of the brain.
The user can manually adjust the frequency and duration of the discharge through a special application for iOS devices by connecting it via Bluetooth (unfortunately, the Android version of the application is not planned yet, as the platform does not offer low-power Bluetooth API protocols). Without any pre-setting, current discharges with a power of 1 mA will be applied to the electrodes for 5 minutes. This will be enough for most, but the company says that the device can be reconfigured to supply a current of 0.8 to 2 mA for a period of 5 to 40 minutes.
When activated, special protected software monitors the resistance between the electrodes and corrects the required voltage. In addition, the application allows you to automatically smoothly increase the applied voltage, so that the person at this moment did not feel any discomfort at all. As in the case of TCMP, to achieve a result with Foc.us only one stimulation session is required.
Early studies in practice have shown that TCMP can help treat depression and some other disorders of the brain. However, the use of the method as a stimulant to improve gaming skills was carried out only once, as was the case with the use of the method to stimulate brain activity and improve the abilities of soldiers. And skeptics of this method usually ask themselves the question: why is the device intended to stimulate the prefrontal cortex, and not those parts that are responsible for motor function and touch, which would directly reduce the response time of a person?
However, Foc.us is slightly different from the few TCMP consumer devices on the market, built by ordinary enthusiasts. Firstly, Foc.us is fully compliant with all safety standards, and secondly, as indicated on the manufacturer’s website, it is not a medical device and does not require approval from the US Medical Products and Drug Administration.
At the moment, an unusual gadget is offered in two colors: red and black. The cost of one copy is 249 dollars. Deliveries will begin in July. Each package with the device contains directly the Foc.us headset, carrying bag, microUSB cable and eight replaceable reusable sponges. In addition, Focus Labs offers customers the opportunity to return the device back within 30 days after purchase and receive money back if they are not satisfied with the results of its work.
The article is based on materials .
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