Oxford University professor invents brain-hacking 'hat' that alleviates anxiety

The Kinetic Intelligent Wireless Implant is designed to help address mental health issues

Professor Newton Howard believes he has found a remedy for anxiety and depression. Photo: Alamy

Have you ever wished you could change your mood at the drop of a hat?

Well, you may soon be able to, according to an University of Oxford professor who has invented a “happy hat” with the help of UAE investors. Professor Newton Howard says he has invented a machine that "hacks" the brain and allows wearers to experience a sustainable state of happiness.

“Happiness is a very basic necessity that every person on earth should be able to enjoy,” he said, during an online presentation in collaboration with Emirates Health Services and Entrepreneur.com, as part of UAE Innovates on Friday.

“True happiness is a sustainable life state that not only affects your mood but quite literally your health and your quality of life.

“The technology we have developed is revolutionary, the plan is bold, and we believe the outcomes will benefit mankind for generations to come.”

Howard, who is a professor of neurocomputation, neurosurgery and mathematics at the University of Oxford and professor of brain sciences at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, claims the mechanism will be available within the next six months to one year in the UAE.

According to Howard, the technology, called the Kinetic Intelligent Wireless Implant, or Kiwi, will help address mental health issues in a matter of only 14 sessions, each lasting 20 minutes. He claims his invention will eliminate the use of medications for treating depression and anxiety.

The treatment works by sending miniature implantables to the brain through the nasal passage, which are then activated by a small propagator device that fits easily into a hat.

The system then records brain activity and stimulates the regrowth of neurons that are lost or damaged, by administering small electrical pulses.

Unlike traditional deep brain stimulation, the treatment is not invasive and does not require major surgery to insert, with the implantables measuring no more than a grain of rice.

Although Kiwi is not yet FDA approved, Howard is confident that it will soon be available in the UAE and has spoken of demand for the technology in the region. “Our major investors and funders come from the UAE and they are keen to bring this to the UAE as soon as possible,” he says.

“The technology we have developed is designed to be used at home and it can easily be slipped into a cap as you go about your day-to-day life. You can even wear it while you’re listening to music or working out in the gym and it enhances your mood.”

Howard has deployed prototypes and believes he is ready to go to market with Kiwi. And in his expert opinion, the treatment of mental illness is just the beginning of the device’s potential.

“By decoding the language of the brain and understanding how the brain works, we can enhance health and natural human capabilities,” he said. “If I want to learn how to speak Chinese in three weeks, I could do it with cognitive enhancements. The possibilities are endless.”