March 24, 2009 What kid hasn’t lain in bed at night and tried to transport some object to them using just the power of their mind, just to see if maybe that Force thing was actually real? I’ll admit I did. Of course nothing happened, but a new toy is designed to give players the feeling that they do have the Force flowing through them by harnessing brainwaves to "levitate" a ball.

The Star Wars licensed Force Trainer from Uncle Milton uses a wireless headset that reads alpha and beta waves via electroencephalography (EEG) technology. Alpha and Beta waves are the names given to electrical activity in the brain between 7.5 and 30Hz - depending on which classification you read - which for the purposes of the game identifies when you are relaxed and concentrated.

When the player achieves this Jedi-like state of inner calm a fan at the bottom of the unit kicks-in and a ball rises up a clear plastic tower giving the player the sense that they are indeed manipulating the Force. With a little encouragement from Yoda players then move through different levels of difficulty to achieve Jedi Master status. Given that calmness and relaxation is the winner, this is one game you would let the kids play before bed.

Gizmag’s resident Jedi Master Loz Blain got a first hand look at the Force Trainer at the Australian Toy Hobby and Nursery Fair and put his Jedi skills to the test. Check out the vid to see him in action and learn more about how the Force Trainer works from Uncle Milton's Dodd Harris.

Darren Quick