There ’ s been a lot of focus lately on the rise of virtual reality . But one firm has developed what it considers to be the next level in gaming - a headset that lets you control on-screen and physical objects using just your mind . In a demonstration at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona , MailOnline put the technology to the test to see if it lives up to the hype . Brain power : The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ) and Australian-based Emotiv have developed what it considers to be the next level in gaming - a headset ( pictured ) that lets you control on-screen and physical objects using just your mind . The game was developed in partnership with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE ) and Australian-based Emotiv . A ‘ driver ’ is wired up to Emotiv ’ s electroencephalography ( EEG ) headset and the device is trained to read their unique brain patterns . The first step involves training the headset to learn the wearer ’ s ‘ neutral ’ state . This involves ‘ clearing their brain ’ . They are then asked to think of a repetitive task that will associated with driving the car . This does n't need to be a driving-related thought ; it can be any thought that the wearer can continuously think and repeat . Victoria Woollaston tried out the IEEE and Emotiv technology at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona . Intense : MailOnline 's Victoria Woollaston tries out the cutting-edge technology for herself . ‘ This is the first time I ’ ve worn an EEG headset and expected it to be uncomfortable and intrusive , but it ’ s the opposite . You hardly notice you ’ re wearing it , although its not the most discreet wearable . ‘ Training the headset took less than a minute , for both the neural and push states , but trying to clear your brain is tricky at the best of times , let alone at a noisy and busy trade show . The ‘ push ’ state activity can be any thought that the wearer can think about over and over again . The more precise the thought , the more accurate the pattern and command . I chose to think about the chords of Greensleeves on a piano , but this could be anything from writing your name to thinking of person ’ s face . As long as the thought is the same each time , the technology will work at its most efficient . During the race I didn ’ t realise I was moving the car because I was too busy thinking about the piano chords . My race time was nine seconds , which put me in 63rd place on the leaderboard or more than 100 . It ’ s a very strange experience . It doesn ’ t feel like you ’ re doing anything and you can ’ t become immersed in the game or pay attention to the position of the cars because you ’ re concentrating on your thought pattern . The technology feels extremely futuristic and I can see its potential but I felt it took away from the enjoyment of playing the game. ’ This is known as the ‘ push ’ state and for MailOnline ’ s test this involved thinking about playing Greensleeves on a piano and imaging the finger positions as they move through the chords . Once the headset is trained the game begins . The wheels of an on-screen car begin to spin to signal that the brain patterns are being recognised . The wearer is then asked to think about their repetitive task , at which point the car begins to move . Once the headset is trained the game begins . The wheels of an on-screen car begin to spin to signal that the brain patterns are being recognised.The wearer is then asked to think about their repetitive task , at which point the car begins to move . During the demonstration , these brain waves moved a car the size of a shoebox around a track and each race involves two players wired up to the headset . The Emotive headsets are embedded with sensors that record electrical activity along the wearer ’ s scalp , forehead and above the right ear . These sensors measure and monitor brain waves and these patterns are converted to commands using a brain-computer interface . The technology is currently a proof-of-concept and there are no immediate plans to release the game and headset . However , the EPOC Emotiv headset is available from $ 499 ( £324 ) and it will work with existing brain-computer interface games and software that work with EEG readings . The Emotiv headset used for the demonstration is called Insight and is available to pre-order ahead of the general release in April .
IEEE mind-controlled game is powered by an Emotiv headset . Headset uses electroencephalography ( EEG ) to monitor brain waves . Training session teaches the headset what ‘ commands ’ to respond to . The user can choose from a variety of games, including ones that are designed for specific tasks like driving or playing chess.