BleepingComputer.com: Mattel's Mindflex: One of the geekiest and coolest toys for the holidays

During the 2009 CES show, Mattel showed off a cool toy called Mindflex. What makes this toy so cool is that the toy is operated via mind-control. Using your mind, you will need to navigate a small ball through an obstacle course. How well you can train your mind to display certain emotions or thoughts will determine how well you are able to play the game.

To play the game you wear a headset that contains headbands with electrodes and clips for your earlobes. The headset and clips will read the electrical impulses from your brain, and using the strength of these impulses, lower or raise a ball on a small jet of air. You then use a dial to move the ball to the left and to the right. In order to successfully navigate the obstacle course you will need to be able to train your mind to deliver the required intensity to raise or lower the ball as needed. Videos I have seen show that this game is not going to be easy and you will need to workout, or flex, your brain in order to properly navigate the game.




Mindflex is expected to ship on October 1st, 2009 for a price of $80 USD and is already ranked #11 in Amazon's toy department. Though pricey, this is going to be a hit item for the holidays and will probably sell out fast.

I think I want one,

but I don't know if I think I can make one work.

Looks like this year's geekmas present has competition. Here's Star Wars' take.

Play the video. It's a riot.

15 levels of training? It's a ball in a tube...How can there be 15 levels.

The mindflex mind control toy looks genuinely interesting and challenging - coupled with the incredible novelty that is mind control.

The Star Wars take has the same novelty factor - you're controlling a ball with your mind, so it'll sell, but it's just not as exciting as the mindflex one. It's a shame they're not planning to bring it to Europe yet.

As cool as this looks - I can't wait until we have animal vs human races with this.

ksky10081, on Sep 20 2009, 02:48 PM, said:

So?? What are you trying to say??

....must refrain.....from.......commenting......

I want one of each!
Gadgets for Christmas = heaven

This post has been edited by llynara: 23 September 2009 - 09:47 PM

I have my doubts about the "mind control" factor here. Someone released a headset that gave you "mind control" for gaming (essentially a joystick/joypad replacement device) that claimed to allow you to play games with nothing but your mind/thoughts, and it turned out to actually be sensing the movements of your facial and forehead muscles rather than individual electrical impulses in your brain.

This seems much simpler, however, I still have my doubts as to the actual validity of what they're claiming their device can do. Watching the videos I noticed some consistencies in user's behavior... the more they concentrate, the closer in they lean, the bigger their eyes get and so on. I smell bunk.

I will be playing with one soon. Will let you know my experiences.

you know what would be a cool toy
Zealot arms
the zealots from starcraft
they would be soo cooooool


zealot:http://games.sina.com.cn/zhuanqu/sc/piclook/zealot.jpg
thats a picture with out blue arm lasers

Hi Grinler,



" I will be playing with one soon. Will let you know my experiences."?

So, how it is?

Thank you.

Personally, I did not enjoy it and returned it.