Video: Mattel Mindflex brains-on

By Scott Stein on 29 June 2009, 10:46am

Mattel is to release a game that lets players navigate a floating foam ball around an obstacle course using mind control.

Mindflex comes in two parts: a plastic obstacle course for a series of small foam balls, and a wireless headset. Control is by brainwave -- the headset measures the level of your concentration, and the more you concentrate the faster a little fan spins that's blowing the ball up in the air, which controls its height.

The goal is to move the little orb around the customisable course as quickly as you can (you control the speed of rotation with a hand-operated knob). The device keeps score for several people.

Mindflex is meant to be a party game and can be used in several modes, involving chasing lights, timed obstacle runs, and point-scoring mini-games meant to be played in rounds with friends. The addition of alcohol into the equation could produce intriguing results, although, of course, Crave can't possibly condone supplying minors with booze.

Mindflex will be available in the US in autumn for $80 (£50).Whether or not it will be released in the UK is yet to be confirmed.