A few days ago, brain-computer interface start-up Neurable teamed up with audio manufacturer Master & Dynamic to launch a headphone product named MW75 Neuro, and claimed that it is the world's first brain-computer interface audio hardware. It is understood that this product uses a 12-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor built into the ear pads to capture the electrical signals of the user's brain in real time, and then use the App to analyze and feedback detailed brainwave data to the user.
The headphones are currently available for pre-order in the United States and are priced at $699, or about 4,903 yuan, and will be available in Europe and the United Kingdom next year for 729 euros and 629 pounds, respectively.
Nowadays, in the headphone market, the competition between products is no longer limited to relatively superficial dimensions such as sound quality and wearing comfort, but is developing in a more intelligent and personalized direction. As a new product, the biggest highlight of MW75 Neuro is undoubtedly the introduction of brain-computer interface, which is undoubtedly a strategy to seek breakthroughs from a new direction among similar products.
Although the current brain-computer interface technology is full of science fiction, it is a kind of technical means to establish a communication connection between the human brain and external devices. With the help of sensors to read neuronal signals and use computers and related programs to convert them into actions, so as to realize human-machine interaction, the emergence of this technology has also brought more possibilities in many fields such as medical health, education and entertainment.
At present, brain-computer interfaces are mainly divided into two directions: invasive and non-invasive, and the former needs to be surgically "connected" to the brain by electrode arrays, chips and other devices, so as to form a stable "interface" to realize the collection of neuronal signals. Due to the direct contact between the electrodes and the brain tissue, this method can also provide higher quality signals with a higher signal-to-noise ratio, so the accuracy is relatively high, and it can also provide more accurate feedback on the state of the brain. However, this technology also comes with safety risks such as surgery, human rejection, and infection, as well as ethical controversies.
In contrast, non-invasive brain-computer interfaces are more convenient to implement because they do not require surgery and can collect the brain's electrical signals by simply wearing electrodes or headband-type devices, and are relatively more advantageous in terms of safety, ease of use, and popularity. However, due to the influence of factors such as skull shielding, electrode layout, and individual differences, the quality of the collected signals is relatively low, so there is still room for improvement in accuracy.
From the perspective of technical routes, MW75 Neuro is obviously a headset with a non-invasive brain-computer interface, and its design concept is to provide users with instant feedback on their brain state, such as attention level, relaxation, etc., through real-time monitoring and analysis of brainwave signals, so as to help users manage their own state and improve the efficiency of work and study.
Based on the brain-computer interface, MW75 Neuro provides two core functions: one is to recommend personalized playlists to enhance user's concentration based on brainwave signal analysis, and continuously optimize playlists with in-depth use to make them more in line with the actual needs of users; The second is to prompt users to take a break at the right time according to the monitoring results. While these two features look beautiful, it's not hard to see that there are many challenges in practice.
The first challenge for MW75 Neuro is that listening to music is inherently an enjoyable experience, but it is also an act that requires distraction. This means that when the user tries to get into a state of focus, listening to music can become a distraction that can weaken concentration. Therefore, there is a certain logical contradiction in the design of using brain-computer interfaces to monitor "concentration" and recommend playlists.
Of course, there are also relevant studies that show that some music does have the effect of reducing anxiety, relaxing the mood, and indirectly promoting the improvement of concentration, but the effect varies from person to person and is difficult to quantify. In contrast, both PCs and mobile phones have generally provided "Focus Mode", which helps users create a more focused work environment by blocking notifications and restricting the use of apps.
The limitations and replaceability of the health reminder function are another challenge that MW75 Neuro has to face. At present, its reminder function focuses on monitoring fatigue, and does not show enough differentiation, while common devices such as smart watches and smart bracelets are more comprehensive in monitoring data, so they are more diversified in this function, not only sedentary, drinking water reminders, some products can also provide psychological stress monitoring according to changes in physiological data, and even high-end products can also give early warning of health risks.
Moreover, products such as smart watches and smart bracelets are lighter, and even if they are worn for a long time, they will not bring additional burden, but headphones like MW75 Neuro determine that they will continue to put pressure on the head and ears after wearing, and they may feel uncomfortable when worn for a long time. In addition, the design of incorporating EEG sensors into ear pads also faces limitations in terms of cleanliness and durability.
Compared with the contradiction of design logic and the substitutability of functions, data accuracy may be the biggest fatal flaw of MW75 Neuro. Whether it's a non-invasive brain-computer interface, a relatively small body size, a limited number of electrodes, or the way it is worn, it means that the data it collects can be quite inaccurate in terms of accuracy. Compared with professional EEG machines in the medical field, not only do they have a large number of electrodes to ensure accuracy, but they also ensure that they are worn close to the head, so as to minimize external interference.
For MW75 Neuro, the fusion of brain-computer interface technology is more like an "exploration", but it seems that there are certain problems in the direction of using it as the main highlight, making it seem more than gimmicky and not practical enough. Nowadays, for products such as headphones, it is obviously more mainstream to follow the trend of intelligence and deeply integrate technologies such as AI. In fact, MW75 Neuro has also explored in the integration of AI, and the official revealed that it will integrate ChatGPT in the future, so that users can interact with the headphones through advanced voice mode, and because it is created in cooperation with audio manufacturers, it is also guaranteed in terms of basic qualities such as sound quality.
At present, in the headset market, the performance of mobile phone manufacturers is particularly eye-catching, and it is also showing a trend of rapid progress, and with the high correlation between headphones and mobile phones, it has achieved significant market advantages. Under the influence of the trend of intelligence, mobile phone manufacturers are also constantly strengthening the relevant functions of TWS earphones, bringing users intelligent noise reduction, convenient control, and functions such as body temperature monitoring and heart rate monitoring.
In addition, manufacturers, including iFLYTEK, are actively exploring the integration of headsets and AI-related technologies, and by introducing large models into headset products, they will dig deeper into the application of such products in the B-end market, which not only meets the needs of users for efficient communication, remote collaboration, meeting records, etc., but also promotes the development of such products in a more intelligent and professional direction.
Therefore, at this stage, for headphone products, under the current trend of intelligence, integrating new technologies and focusing on the mining of user needs is obviously a more mainstream development path. The introduction of brain-computer interface technology into headphones, at least from the perspective of current user needs, is still more gimmick than substance.