Challis Hodge’s UXblog

Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology is concerned with electronic and engineering methods of understanding and controlling nervous system function.

The market for neurotechnolgy products is poised to become one of the most dramatic growth areas of the 21st Century. Spurred on by medical developments and discoveries that cure disease, alleviate suffering, and generally improve the quality of life, many leading research institutions and health care firms have gained the world’s attention and respect in recent years. Within the biomedical technology industries, there is one field that stands out not only for its promise of restoring function to human patients, but also for carrying over biomedical concepts and processes to the industrial and information processing sectors. That field is what we call neurotechnology.

A very interesting and practical product, Actiwatch, is being marketed in this space by Cambridge Neurotechology. Actiwatch represents a new generation of ultra compact and light-weight wrist worn devices for measuring activity and a range of other physiological and environmental variables. The Actiwatch reader interfaces with a PC via a cable connected to the RS232 Comms port. It allows the downloading and configuration of all Actiwatch models.

Potential uses include:

• An aid in the diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of sleep disorders

• The assessment of treatment regimes
• Sleep and chronobiology research
• Clinical assessment of neurological and psychiatric disorders
• Monitoring and assessing effects of drugs on the central nervous system
• Neurological research and medicine
• Health and Safety monitoring

The possibilities are endless. One can easily imagine future iterations of this product that are far more invasive, contentious and probably implanted. I hope that doesn’t kill your entusiasm. It shouldn’t, but it does require that we, as designers, begin thinking of these and other implications soon.

And then of course there is Synchronicity City. They espouse “we are pleased to offer you the direct experience of Synchronicity technology via your connection to this web-site through our on-line meditation room. With stereo headphones, you will be able to experience a balanced state of meditative awareness in minutes with eyes closed, or if you wish, while watching the phasing mandala pattern on your screen.” They also have an online meditation room. Hmmmmm.