The Human Performance Enhancing Robot of Dr. NakaMats
AKA Cerebrex. Invented by Dr. Yoshiro NaKaMats. It was essentially a lounger chair that was supposed to improve brain function in only 30 minutes. Details from the Arizona Republic (Sep 12, 1986):
You can check out a (non-embeddable) video about Cerebrex on Vimeo.
NaKaMats unveiled the chair this summer [1986] and plans to mass-produce and lease the recliners for about 14,900 yen, or $93 a month.
Meanwhile, customers can use it only in his sun-flooded "oyasumidokoro," or sleeping place, a nearly empty room a few floors below his laboratory, where white-coated assistants bustle around prototypes of industrial robots in various stages of development.
The inventor explains how the chair works, sort of.
"It activates your alpha brain waves by emitting ultra-high frequency electronic pulses, which in turn increase the flow of blood to the head, through the chair's pillow and foot rest," he said.
Meanwhile, customers can use it only in his sun-flooded "oyasumidokoro," or sleeping place, a nearly empty room a few floors below his laboratory, where white-coated assistants bustle around prototypes of industrial robots in various stages of development.
The inventor explains how the chair works, sort of.
"It activates your alpha brain waves by emitting ultra-high frequency electronic pulses, which in turn increase the flow of blood to the head, through the chair's pillow and foot rest," he said.
York Dispatch - July 2, 1986
You can check out a (non-embeddable) video about Cerebrex on Vimeo.
Comments
Stick your head in an EMF pulse generator? I'm going to pass.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 08/21/20 at 08:10 AM
I'm thinking more along the line of a modernized version of a orgone cabinet. Every home should have one!
Posted by KDP on 08/21/20 at 09:13 AM
I'm afraid I have to take what's probably an unpopular position: I view this less as fraud/quackery and more as groping in the darkness of a new field of study. Since transcranial magnetic stimulation is now a legitimate scientific tool, can anyone dismiss the fact that magnetic and electrical fields affect the brain?
It's unfortunate he commercialized it, especially is such a hucksterish fashion, but as we've seen more and more in recent decades, researchers have to take their funding where they can get it.
I think the methodology here is so seriously flawed it probably renders the results useless, but it probably is a clear case of noticing an effect and experimenting to find how to increase/modify the effect.
Perhaps the scientist's initial exposure to the fields activated his latent gonif capabilities?
It's unfortunate he commercialized it, especially is such a hucksterish fashion, but as we've seen more and more in recent decades, researchers have to take their funding where they can get it.
I think the methodology here is so seriously flawed it probably renders the results useless, but it probably is a clear case of noticing an effect and experimenting to find how to increase/modify the effect.
Perhaps the scientist's initial exposure to the fields activated his latent gonif capabilities?
Posted by Phideaux on 08/21/20 at 01:25 PM
Phideaux: or maybe he's a crackpot.
Having seen several of his appearances at the IgNobel ceremonies, I'm going with crackpot.
Having seen several of his appearances at the IgNobel ceremonies, I'm going with crackpot.
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/22/20 at 06:47 AM
I looked up the orgone cabinet, KDP. It sounds a lot like the "dark energy" the astrophysicists are currently looking for. Since orgone is anti-entropic, it spontaneously creates organization. Yes, I think we should have them; I sure could use a few kilojoules on my desktop.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 08/23/20 at 08:37 AM
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Category: Inventions | 1980s | Brain