A startup in Silicon Valley has created a headset, called the Thync, designed to put people in better moods.
Isy Goldwasser, CEO and co-founder of Thync, said the device comes with a set of electrodes that produce "vibes" like a calming effect so wearers can relax after a long day at work or get a jolt of energy to get the day started, according to The Guardian. The calming effect is designed to be the same one gets after an alcoholic drink, and the energizing effect is the similar to one after drinking a cup of coffee.
"We are giving people a way to overcome a basic limitation- that no one is really wired to co-opt energy and calm on demand," Goldwasser said.
A form of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is used, and Thync uses the electrodes to deliver a constant low current to the head in order to change the activity of neurons in a specific area. This approach can improve different cognitive abilities, past research shows.
While neuroscientists are looking to use this technique in the medical field, Thync is the first device designed to change the state of mind in a healthy person.
The headset works in 10-minute sessions and can produce effects that can last for anywhere up to 45 minutes, The Guardian reported. Wearers use their smartphones to operate the device, which means they can control how much current is delivered and the strength of the effect.
The prototype has been tested on about 3,000 people so far, though it doesn't work on everyone since close to one-third of people don't have a strong response.
One of the concerns experts have about Thync is that the user can be harmed if the device is placed in the wrong area.
"This is the wild west for cognitive enhancing devices," said Julian Savulescu, an ethicist at Oxford University.
Goldwasser responded to these concerns by pointing out the success of tDCS, and how that ensures his headset is a safe product, The Guardian reported. He added that vibes have shown to have no ill effects on users in tests, and that the device is being made only for adults since children's brains are still developing.
Thync is looking to start selling the device on its website in 2015.
