After more than three and half years of collaboration, Master & Dynamic (M&D), and Neurable are launching what they’re calling the first brain-computer interface (BCI) enabled audio product, the MW75-Neuro. The purpose is primarily to help users figure out their own focus patterns through monitoring and feedback, however the headphones also provide some (dubious sounding) focus support features. It’s something to buy to help chase the elusive state of focus, and they should be pretty good headphones too.
According to Neurable, this is the first time neurotechnology of this caliber will be available to the public outside of medical devices and intrusive head caps. Neurable’s AI technology has been validated by the US Air Force, and designed with experts from Harvard, MIT, Brown, etc. The smart headphones, MW75-Neuro, are designed to maximize cognitive performance mostly through feedback, like an Apple Watch for your head. The images below show a glimpse of development and prototypes starting from June 2020.
GALLERY: MW75 DEVELOPMENT AND PROTOTYPES
“The greatest advancement of audio technology over the last decade has been the migration from analog to Bluetooth wireless devices. Moving now into brain sensing thrusts the industry into a new wave of innovation. We’re proud to lead the charge with Neurable,” commented Jonathan Levine, Founder & CEO of Master & Dynamic in a press release.
Also from the press release: Neurable AI, built into M&D’s flagship ANC headphones, features integrated neural sensors that measure brainwaves. They can help you identify focus periods, recognize subtle signs of stress, and discover optimal mental well-being conditions.
As reported in Gizmodo, the new MW75Neuro will monitor the user’s ‘peak focus time’ for how long it lasted and where it happened (hopefully not during sleep). A precise graph will apparently give your stats, indicating when focus started to go up and helping users pinpoint what activities increase focus like coffee, walking, or, in Gizmodo’s example, yoga. No word on whether the headphones stay on during inversions.
Users will reportedly get pretty precise stats that graph out focus time. The MW75Neuro will reportedly also mute notifications, enabling a Do Not Disturb mode on your phone, and turning ANC on as soon as it senses that you’re focused on your task, something I can’t imagine anyone would want to be sprung on them by a headset.
The MW75-Neuro headphones will be available for shipping in Q1 2024. There will be a limited number of each of the four initial colors. To find out more, go to neurable.io and download Neurable’s Press Kit here.
