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When veteran tech journalist Robert Scoble visited a Boston laboratory to test a new mixed reality interface, he wasn't expecting to have his brain controlled. Yet there he stood, swaying left and right, his movements guided not by physical force but by a set of specialized electrodes attached to his skin. "You're now turning the human being into a robot, you're controlling my brain from outside of my brain," Scoble observed during the demonstration.
The technology he was testing represents a significant leap forward in how we might interact with virtual and augmented reality environments. Unlike Neuralink's surgical brain-computer interface, this system works entirely from outside the body, using a sophisticated array of electrodes to communicate with the vestibular system – our body's control center for motion and balance.
"So, we build these vestibular stimulators," explains Steven Pang, the company's founder, as he adjusts the prototype during Scoble's test. "A lot of people think you have five senses, but every serious scientist thinks that's not true. They'll argue over how many there are, but there are definitely at least six, with the sixth being the vestibular sense."
Filming the demonstration on his Apple Vision Pro, Scoble experienced firsthand how the system can influence a person's sense of motion without actual movement. The implications for virtual reality are immediate and significant. Current VR systems often cause motion sickness when users see movement that their bodies don't physically feel – a problem that has plagued the industry since its inception.
"In VR, if you move around in your field of view but your body doesn't feel it, you get nauseous," Pang explains. "It's called cybersickness, and the big problem is what we call visual-vestibular mismatch." This mismatch has made certain types of VR experiences, particularly those involving rapid movement, practically impossible for many users. The team's solution effectively bridges this gap between visual and physical sensation.
The technical achievements behind the system are remarkable. Previous attempts by major tech companies, including Samsung and Oculus, struggled with two fundamental challenges: the discomfort of electrical stimulation and the need for single-use electrodes. Pang's team has solved both problems through innovative chemistry and materials science.
"For the longest time, one thing about this tech is that in order to send the amount of stimulation you need, it hurts," Pang shares. "So for the longest time, that was the big problem – you can't have a consumer product that hurts." The breakthrough came through developing a specialized chemical environment that allows ionic charges to pass through the skin comfortably, coupled with a reusable adhesive that doesn't degrade or leave residue.
The demonstration included several modes of operation. In one particularly striking moment, Pang was asked to close his eyes while the system guided his movements. "I'm gonna try really hard to fight it," he said, before ultimately yielding to the system's influence. The experience, captured, showcases both the power and precision of the technology.
Looking toward the future, the company's roadmap is ambitious but grounded in practical considerations. Developer units are slated for release in summer 2025, with a full consumer launch targeted for December of that year. The most surprising aspect might be the cost – with manufacturing expenses under $150 per unit, the technology could be surprisingly accessible when it hits the market.
"We're figuring out a really good cheap way to make them such that they're still chemically robust," Pang notes. The entire system is being miniaturized to fit behind the ears, potentially integrating directly into future headset designs. "I wouldn't be too surprised if you start seeing this native to headphones or VR headsets," he adds.
The technology's potential extends far beyond gaming. Medical applications for balance disorders, enhanced training simulators, and new forms of therapeutic treatment are all possibilities.
The team behind this innovation represents a carefully curated group of experts. "I just went around genius collecting," Pang explains, describing his recruitment strategy. The result is an interdisciplinary team including neuroscientists, material scientists, and what he calls "magical" computer scientists and physicists.
As we approach 2025, we're witnessing the emergence of a new paradigm in human-computer interaction. Through non-invasive neural stimulation, they're not just making virtual reality more realistic – they're fundamentally changing how our bodies and minds interact with digital experiences.
For Scoble, who has tested countless VR and AR solutions over the years, the experience left a lasting impression. "Wow," he concluded after the demonstration, a simple but telling reaction to a technology that could reshape how we experience digital worlds.
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