A remarkable new experience from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam and Tellart seeks to answer the question; “What if you could actually fly to your dream travel destination using only the power of your brain?” It's called the “Imagination Machine,” and was first unveiled last week at a crowded mall in Moscow to advertise S7 Airlines, one of the biggest carriers in the country. The unique installation uses advanced EEG technology to effectively turn a user's brain into a controller, and was created as part of the Russian airline's “Fly to any place you can imagine” campaign. The integrated campaign launched last month, and aims to turn a new generation of Russians into globe trotters. It underlines the huge reach of the airline, which flies to over 900 destinations worldwide.
The Imagination Machine uses advanced EEG technology to effectively turn a user's brain into a controller via a bespoke EEG-brainwave headset
The Imagination Machine installation aims to put the wonders of the world in the grasp of anyone who can stay focused on their dream destination. It sits participants in front of a gigantic projection-mapped globe and has them steering a small physical plane using the power of their brains. After choosing their destination, users are fitted with an EEG-brainwave headset that monitors brain activity throughout gameplay via a bespoke forehead biosensor which determines their level of focus through a process we can't even begin to comprehend. Brainwave information is then collected and sent from the headset to the machine's algorithm that calculates the flight path in real-time to control and manoeuvre the plane.
S7 Airlines – The Imagination Machine
The stunt was held last week in Moscow’s Afimall City Mall and over 200 people took part throughout the day, with 50 participants winning a round trip to their dream destination along with 5,000 S7 Airlines miles. Those who took part, but who weren’t successful in landing their plane also walked away with 5,000 air miles. Players were each given 45 seconds to make it to their chosen destination from halfway around the globe, with the plane set to follow two paths; the ideal flight path, and a flight path that followers the players focus level. The idea is that the more focused the player, the closer the plane sticks to the ideal flight path, and if they managed to avoid the distractions of the crowd and their own subconscious, they were rewarded with an actual return trip to that destination. If you want to learn more about the specifics of the machine, the video above does a better job of explaining it than we ever could.
The more focused the player, the closer the plane sticks to the ideal flight path, and if they manage to avoid any distractions they were rewarded with an actual return trip
Kelsie Van Deman, W+K Amsterdam's head of interactive production, said that “Although measuring these tiny electrical impulses in your brain and calculating them in real-time to a flight path is incredibly technical,” they were focused on keeping the user experience very simple. He added that “People didn’t need to understand the algorithms and mechanics behind the installation, they just needed to focus on their dream destination.” Matt Cottam, CCO at Tellart Amsterdam, adds "It is incredible to live in a time when we can access almost every corner of our planet through sensors, video feeds and global communications that are practically free.” He concedes, however, that “Even with the highest-fidelity connections, the sense of virtual presence in a remote location will always pale in comparison to the real experience of being there–the sounds of a street, the smell of food, the light, the faces of strangers.” He feels that “The Imagination Machine combines sensing with a digital Earth and the exciting opportunity to travel the real world in all of its colour.” S7 group chief marketing officer, Tatiana Fileva, meanwhile, calls the machine “A way to really bring to life the idea behind the campaign,” and believes that “The stunt demonstrates that dreams can come true if you are open-minded and can imagine strongly enough.”
