Emma Baumert, a 24-year-old Illinois native who is a member of the USA Bobsled/Skeleton development squad, confesses that she felt ridiculous at first when she put on the high-tech headband. "But, because I'm such a nerd, I felt really awesome wearing it." She is a qualified weightlifting coach and holds a master's degree in exercise physiology, which she earned this year.
Ms. Baumert did her research at BrainCo, a Massachusetts-based product company. She is certain that the equipment is functional. "I had to visualize and learn how to have greater control, as well as the training I needed to get into a more relaxed condition while still being able to produce a lot of explosive force."
According to Max Newlon, president of BrainCo, the headband employs an AI (artificial intelligence) software system to monitor 1,250 "data points" in a person's EEG impulses. It then scores them on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the calmest, using a mobile phone app. Mr. Newlon claims that, similar to how physical exercise strengthens the body, people can learn to relax their minds and that once learned, the skill persists. It's also made to make you feel calmer, which can help you meditate or sleep better.