Neurable's new $700 headphones track brain activity to improve focus and combat burnout

Would you wear $700 headphones if they could track your brain activity and help you concentrate better?

That's what Boston-based startup Neurable is hoping for – and has set itself the goal of making portable electroencephalography (EEG) devices more precise, responsive and fashionable with today's launch of the MW75 Neuro headphones.

The brain-analytic headphones collect real-time brain data through a series of EEG sensors – coupled with artificial intelligence, of course – and transmit the information to an Android or iOS app. Wearers can then see the information in real time on a dashboard and adjust their behavior to stay focused and prevent fatigue and burnout.

“Essentially, it teaches you to focus and better understand what that feels like so you can improve it over long periods of time,” said Dr. Ramses Alcaide, co-founder and CEO of Neurable. Decrypt.

Launched in 2015, Neurable developed its sensing device in collaboration with wireless headphone developer Master & Dynamic and researchers at the University of Michigan.

“We've spent nearly a decade refining the technology. From large headphones, we've moved to smaller form factors and now we're essentially getting to headphones. We've always tried to maintain high signal quality,” said Alcaide.

In addition to the EEG sensors, the MW75 features high-end headphones with adaptive noise cancellation, six microphones for clear calls, Bluetooth and a 10-hour battery life.

Neurable is the latest entry into an emerging consumer electronics category that also includes InteraXon, developer of the Muse EEG headband, and Synchron, developer of the insertable Stentrode implant. There is also the yet-to-be-launched NextSense, which is designed to improve users' sleep using EEG data.

EEG is widely used in medicine and research, especially to diagnose conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders or brain injuries. Another use case for EEG technology is brain-computer interfaces, where researchers use EEG to allow people to control devices with their brain activity.

Stanford University neuroscientist Dr. Walter Greenleaf said there appears to be no risk with devices that measure EEGs. “It's an unobtrusive and passive way of collecting information,” he said. Decrypt“So the only risk would be that the information would be misjudged or misrepresented.”

While he praised the work of Neurable and other consumer-focused EEG developers, he cautioned them against exaggerating their capabilities. “If one of these companies were to make exaggerated claims, such as that they could cure autism with their device, that would be a danger, but as a device in itself, they are safe and useful.”

As more companies bring EEG devices to market, Greenleaf says the accuracy of one device versus another depends on the needs of the wearer.

“If you're trying to identify the focal point of an epileptic seizure, you need to measure the entire head,” Greenleaf said. “If you just want to find out if someone is concentrating or if they're relaxed, maybe put them in a more relaxed mood, or if someone is sleeping and what stage of sleep they're in, you don't need the whole array of electrodes.”

While the list of competitors continues to grow, Alcaide says the focus should be on helping people improve their mental health.

His new product is “for the average person,” he said. “They want to focus. They want to take a break to avoid burnout, because most people take a break when their body is tired, not when their brain is tired.”

The bottom line, he said, is that “you want to take advantage of the power of brain-computer interfaces that can help you better understand yourself in other aspects of your life.”

Edited by Josh Quittner and Sebastian Sinclair