6 Sensory Enhancement Devices That Can Let You Experience New Senses
Advances in the field of technology and neuroscience today allow us to view a reality that is not filtered to our brain through our senses. More and more companies are developing devices that let you experience things that humans are not naturally equipped to experience. Here is a list of six fascinating and useful devices that exist and that can extend the bounds of your subjective reality.
Sentero
The Sentero, by Cyborg Nest, is a wearable device that connects you to the Earth’s magnetic field and allows you to permanently sense the magnetic north. With its help, you can sense places and people through patterned vibrations felt against your skin. Cyborg Nest claims, “It is a smart sense which enhances your perception of space and creates emotive directional communication by using our most emotive sense — TOUCH — to connect us to the planet and each other.”
EQ-Radio
The EQ-Radio, developed by MIT, is capable of inferring one’s emotions by means of wireless signals. The device transmits a wireless signal which is reflected back. These reflections are captured and the breathing and heartbeat signals are analyzed to identify the emotion. The features of these signals are fed into a machine learning algorithm. The device has an 87% accuracy and can help distinguish between joy, anger, sadness, and pleasure.
Bottlenose
The Bottlenose, by Grindhouse Wetware, is a “rangefinder device” which detects the distance of objects by making use of ultrasound. Vibrations at different frequencies are felt against the user’s finger which is embedded with a magnet. The device essentially allows you the sense of echolocation.
Northstar
Northstar, by Grindhouse Wetware, is a Bluetooth-controlled, subdermal device that has a number of capabilities. The device has the ability to enable gesture control of Internet of Things devices and perform tasks such as switching the lights on and off, starting your car, sending messages and documents, etc. The Northstar also has various sensors and built-in memory. The Bluetooth function also allows you to connect with and send data to other devices.
Circadia
Circadia, by Grindhouse Wetware, is an implantable device that sends real-time biometric data such as temperature, wirelessly via Bluetooth to a phone or tablet. It can be used to trigger alerts in case of dramatic changes in temperature and even contact medical services in case of an emergency.
naviBelt
The naviBelt by feelSpace helps you acquire a sense of space by making directions tangible. One only needs to feed their destination into their smartphone. The naviBelt will vibrate against your waist, pointing you in the desired direction. Essentially, the belt endows you with a navigational sense, similar to what migratory birds possess.
