Difference between revisions of "GoFlow"

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(Main Characteristics)
(Main Characteristics)
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price=99|
 
price=99|
 
price_commentary= (March 2012)<ref> JOHN. GoFlow: Learn Faster. DIY tDCS [online]. 2012, Mar 17. Available online at: http://www.diytdcs.com/2012/03/goflow-learn-faster/ (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).</ref> the device was never shipped|
 
price_commentary= (March 2012)<ref> JOHN. GoFlow: Learn Faster. DIY tDCS [online]. 2012, Mar 17. Available online at: http://www.diytdcs.com/2012/03/goflow-learn-faster/ (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).</ref> the device was never shipped|
max_output=5 mA|
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max_output=2 mA|
 
max_output_commentary=<ref name="A brain charger">VANCE, Ashlee. A brain charger for $100 - but will it work?. SFGate [online]. 2012, Mar 25. Available online at: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/A-brain-charger-for-100-but-will-it-work-3432153.php#ixzz25TjyRopo (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).</ref>|
 
max_output_commentary=<ref name="A brain charger">VANCE, Ashlee. A brain charger for $100 - but will it work?. SFGate [online]. 2012, Mar 25. Available online at: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/A-brain-charger-for-100-but-will-it-work-3432153.php#ixzz25TjyRopo (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).</ref>|
 
max_session_duration=1800|
 
max_session_duration=1800|
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== Main characteristics ==
 
== Main characteristics ==
  
Go Flow is head mounted tDCS device which is standalone and fully enclosed.  
+
Go Flow is head mounted tDCS device which is standalone.  
  
 
GoFlow should have caused a "flow state" to its users. This is the state of intense concentration and appears among artists, athletes or workers.<ref name="A brain charger"/>
 
GoFlow should have caused a "flow state" to its users. This is the state of intense concentration and appears among artists, athletes or workers.<ref name="A brain charger"/>

Revision as of 14:56, 21 November 2016

GoFlow
GoFlow.png
Category Transcranial direct-current stimulation
Developer GoFlow
Announced March 2012 [1]
Released Developers:
Consumers: project cancelled [2]
Price 99 USD (March 2012)[3] the device was never shipped
Max output 2 mA2 T
0.002 A
[4]
Session duration 18001,800 s
30 minute
[5]
Scalp location unspecified
Weight g
Controls

N/A

Data available
Risk factor
Medical prescription No
http://www.diytdcs.com/tag/goflow/

GoFlow should be small head mounted device which provides transcranial direct-current stimulation. The device was developed by students at the University of Michigan and was announced as first direct-to-consumer tDCS device. It was, however, never shipped due to FDA concerns.[1]

GoFlow consists of head-mounted device, which includes two sponge electrodes, potentiometer[5] , 12 V battery and 5 mA safety fuse[4]. It should have been shipped with the map of brain regions, in order to let users know the proper placement of electrodes.[5]

Main characteristics

Go Flow is head mounted tDCS device which is standalone.

GoFlow should have caused a "flow state" to its users. This is the state of intense concentration and appears among artists, athletes or workers.[4]

The manufacturers of GoFlow intended to develop the first low-cost commercial tDCS device.[4]

Purpose

Schematic of Go Flow

The main purpose is to enhance skills of its users by low-cost and publicly available tDCS device.

Company & People

GoFlow Prototype

GoFlow was originally developed by students at the University of Michigan but it was never shipped.

  • Matt Sornson - the co-founder of GoFlow
  • Nick Woodhams - the co-founder of GoFlow[1]
  • Benjamin Syzek - Ph.D neuroscience student at Michigan State University [6]

Important Dates

  • spring 2012 - the new device was announced and the Kickstarter campaign began
  • May 2012 - the Kickstarter campaign was delayed and later cancelled because of FDA involvement
  • early 2013 - the developers give up the development of an available tDCS device and sold the project to the Foc.us company
  • summer 2013 - the first device tDCS which was produced by Foc.us was released[1]

Enhancement/Therapy/Treatment

Ethical & Health Issues

There are several ethical and health issues linked with tDCS in general or DTC tDCS specifically.

Public & Media Impact and Presentation

Several authors pointed out that the presentation of the project was not really professional. Tim Verry from PC Perspectives claimed:

Personally, statements such as "our tDCS kit is the shit" and "get one of the first β1's and will help us develop β2" on the web[site] are not exactly instilling confidence to me, but if you're big into the early adopter adventure, GoFlow may have something for you to test.[7]

and Christopher Mims at MIT Technology Review argued:

Given the (lack of) production values in their promotional video, I’m not all that reassured by the included testimonial from a neuroscience graduate student. [8]

Public Policy

Related Technologies, Projects or Scientific Research

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 WEXLER, Anna. A pragmatic analysis of the regulation of consumer transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) devices in the United States. Journal of Law and the Biosciences [online]. 2015, Oct 12. Available online at: http://jlb.oxfordjournals.org/content/2/3/669.full.pdf+html (Retrieved 1st November, 2016).
  2. JOHN. News from GoFlow! Good and Bad. DIY tDCS [online] 2013, Jun 7. Available online at: http://www.diytdcs.com/2013/06/news-from-goflow-good-and-bad/ (Retrieved 1st November, 2016).
  3. JOHN. GoFlow: Learn Faster. DIY tDCS [online]. 2012, Mar 17. Available online at: http://www.diytdcs.com/2012/03/goflow-learn-faster/ (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 VANCE, Ashlee. A brain charger for $100 - but will it work?. SFGate [online]. 2012, Mar 25. Available online at: http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/A-brain-charger-for-100-but-will-it-work-3432153.php#ixzz25TjyRopo (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 ANTHONY, Sebastian. GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit. ExtremeTech [online]. 2012, Mar 9. Available online at: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/121861-goflow-a-diy-tdcs-brain-boosting-kit (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).
  6. WEBSTER, Andrew. GoFlow kit lets you build your own brain stimulation machine for $99. The Verge [online]. 2012, Mar 14. Available online at: http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/14/2871740/goflow-kit-tdcs-brain-stimulation (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).
  7. VERRY, Tim. GoFlow To Offer $99 tDCS Brain Augmentation Kit. PC Perspective [online]. 2012, Mar 12. Available online at: https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/GoFlow-Offer-99-tDCS-Brain-Augmentation-Kit (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).
  8. MIMS, Christopher. DIY Kit Overclocks Your Brain With Direct Current. MIT Technology Review [online]. 2012, Mar 09. Available online at: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/427177/diy-kit-overclocks-your-brain-with-direct-current/ (Retrieved 21st November, 2016).