Neurable has so far focused its efforts on a pair of consumer-grade headphones – created in partnership with audio brands Master & Dynamic. It also has a contract with the US Department of Defense to look at how its technology can monitor blast overpressure and potentially help diagnose mild traumatic brain injuries in soldiers. With the licensing model, we may see more of Neuralable’s technology in everyday head-based wearables.
The headphones use built-in electroencephalography (EEG) sensors to monitor brain waves. That information is sent to a companion app and lets wearers know when they need a “brain break,” prompting them to take a sigh of relief before they feel too tired to maximize productivity. The app also lets users discover their cognitive readiness for the day, their brain age and other metrics, such as mental improvement, cognitive stress and anxiety resilience. WIRED staff writer Emily Mullin tested the original headphones in 2024, though she found it difficult to verify the accuracy of Neural’s algorithms.
Now, the HP-owned gaming brand HyperX is releasing a gaming headset with Neural’s technology, and it’s all about improving human performance while gaming. Headphones are said to help wearers get into the right mental state for best performance. Neurable co-founder and CEO Ramses Alkaid tells WIRED that the company has published a white paper showing improved performance among gamers using Neurable’s technology, including reduced reaction times in first-person shooter games and a slight increase in accuracy.
The improvements may seem minor, but milliseconds are precious in the fast-paced world of eSports gaming. And Alcade says this could translate to other areas as well: It could help a student reduce anxiety before an exam, while athletes could settle their nerves before a race or game. Neurable is hardware-agnostic; Alcide says it can be embedded in headphones, smart glasses, hats or helmets. “There’s a whole landscape of technology hitting your head that hasn’t yet been integrated with our platform,” he says.
He compared it to when Fitbit popularized the idea of a wrist-worn heart rate tracker. In the beginning, no one knew how to get fitness wearables, but now no one bats an eye at the wrist. Soon, no one will think twice about brain-scanning technology in headphones — or, at least, that’s the idea. Neuralable’s technology is “invisible” in this type of gadget.
Alcide says companies that license Neurable’s technology can integrate it into existing hardware, and will control the entire experience from product design to software experience; These products will be advertised as “powered by neural AI”. User data still flows to Neurable’s servers for processing, but Neurable sets up data privacy protections. User identifiers are separated from the data, and while partner companies host the user-facing layer, Neurable says it maintains control over the underlying systems and data handling. Neurable has previously said that its business model is not to sell user data.
“Whenever there is a new change in technology, there is always some concern,” says Alcide. “We’re being very careful when it comes to that change. We’re protecting the data while being as ethical as possible.”
Neuralable is one of many brain-computer interface (BCI) companies in the growing category. Allimind uses EEG to improve sleep quality, and seeks to convert all thoughts into text. Apple has even filed a patent for EEG-sensing AirPods, though they aren’t available yet.
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