Canadian company InteraXon has developed the Muse headband, a wearable device that gamifies meditation, rewarding a wearer depending on how relaxed he is.

Gamification is the use of game mechanics and game thinking in non-game situations to persuade users to become more involved in solving problems. The Muse headband offers points and birds as incentives for having a relaxed mind.

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The Muse headband employs electroencephalography technology to detect how active a person's mind is. The curved device sits above the user's ears, with the band's front part pressed against the wearer's forehead.

The smart headband communicates with an Android or iOS app wirelessly to guide the user through a few calming exercises.

Once the headband is worn and the app is up and running, the program on the phone or tablet offers a quick and narrated training session that gives the user information on how the device works. It then lets the wearer calibrate the band, which requires the user to think about things in particular categories.

After calibration, the user is then immersed in a session of meditation, which can range from three to 12 minutes.

If earphones are put into the device where the app is running, it recreates the sound of the ocean, with the sounds of waves lapping the shore. In each session, a user should strive to keep his mind relaxed as much as possible.

The audio provides the user some feedback when using the app by reacting in real time to the brain activity of the individual.

If one's mind is distracted and active, the sound of the wind picks up. If the person is calm, on the other hand, the user is rewarded with the sound of birds landing and chirping nearby.

When the session ends, the Muse app offers a chart showing how long the user's mind was relaxed, busy and neutral.

InteraXon's Muse smart headband currently retails for US$299.

TagsMuse, InteraXon, Meditation, Gamify, Gamification, Game, Mind, EEG, electroencephalography, smart headband, Tablet, iOS 7, iOS 8, Android Kitkat