June 11, 2009 6:00 PM | Eric Caoili

This pinball setup attaches dozens of electrodes to the players scalp with a helmet, measuring the brain's electric signals, sending them to a computer, then delivering converted commands to the Addams Family machine. It's altogether ooky. (Sorry)

The technology isn't new, nor is this game-related demonstration, as this non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) was previously shown working with a similar Pong setup in 2006 (video below).

Dr. Michael Tangermann and several others also published a study on "Playing Pinball with Non-Invasive BCI" earlier this year, which you can read the abstract for here:

"Compared to invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), non-invasive BCI systems based on Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals have not been applied successfully for complex control tasks. In the present study, however, we demonstrate this is possible and report on the interaction of a human subject with a complex real device: a pinball machine. First results in this single subject study clearly show that fast and well-timed control well beyond chance level is possible, even though the environment is extremely rich and requires complex predictive behavior. Using machine learning methods for mental state decoding, BCI-based pinball control is possible within the first session without the necessity to employ lengthy subject training. While the current study is still of anecdotal nature, it clearly shows that very compelling control with excellent timing and dynamics is possible for a non-invasive BCI."

BCI Pong:

You can watch another video (in German, unfortunately) of Dr. Tangermann demonstrating the BCI pinball machine himself on Spiegel Online.

[Via The Pinball Blog]