Remote controlled humans....but for gamming?

[Spyrewolf]

Ha ha! only from japan, this is incredible new technology, hopefully one day we could implement it into RF but hey, you never know :p

Remote controlled humans might sound a bizarre and nightmarish prospect, but Japanese researchers hope to harness the trick for computer gaming.

By remotely stimulating a person's vestibular system - the fluid-filled tubes in the inner ear that guide their sense of balance - with electrodes placed on the skin just below the ear, researchers at NTT's research laboratories in Kanagawa have found a way to turn humans into oversized radio controlled vehicles. See the system in action, here (8 MB, Mpg format).

The technique, known as galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), unbalances a person so that they automatically veer left or right in an attempt to rebalance themselves. The NTT team developed a headset and a control unit similar to that used with remote-controlled toy cars.

The research project went on public display at the 2005 SIGGRAPH, in Los Angeles, US from 2 August. Volunteers were given a chance to experience GVS and, to the amusement of other visitors, were seen careening around the show floor under demonstrators' control.

Gravity shift
Taro Maeda and colleagues at NTT believe the system could primarily be used to make computer games feel more realistic. In a driving game, for example, a player could feel gravity shift as their car hurtles through a tight bend.

"I do think this could find an application in computer gaming," says James Collins, an expert in GVS at Boston University in the US. "You could definitely use it to give the illusion of motion when going through some virtual environment."

"It certainly has some potential in this area," adds Brian Day, an expert at the Institute of Neurology, at University College London. However, Day warns that some evidence suggests extended use of vestibular stimulation at high current can cause tissue damage. "I would imagine that regulatory bodies would not allow GVS to be used in an uncontrolled way," he told New Scientist.

GVS may also find use as a medical therapy, helping patients who have an impaired sense of balance. "There certainly remains an opportunity in the medical sphere," Collins adds.

Collins also points out that a US patent already exists for using GVS as a virtual reality tool. The approach was pioneered in the late 1990s by a company called Virtual Motion, he says.

What's next?!?

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7829

*scource taken from newscientist.com

[scott]

human slaves, lol, this could be a powerfull tool, and wouldnt using it too much ulter the way your body reacts to movent, what effect are there for long term use.

[Voltare]

"attaches one to hike and federico" pimp my game .....heh

[SithMaster]

I read something kinda similar only people were controlling computers. A glass, crystal, or something like that was placed in a persons head and they had some control over the cursor.

This could mean an army of remote controlled humans or could pave the way for a means to stop criminals. example, said criminal driving away from police so they activate his self destruct.. i mean time out neural implant so they control him and make him slow down his car and pull over.

Or

I vision battle humans. Like that show battle bots only with humans.

[AndyCR]

that would be insanely cool, if you get shot in a game it makes you shake around, and if you die it throws you to the ground... very cool, though you might want a nice soft pillow under you if your bad at games

[Sudi]

Remote controled humans our world gets closer to these horror fictions of modern societys than ever before thats really scary...and not so cool than somebody might think since the media is already controling us just like in 1984 just without the big company on top of everything(maybe without we don't know) anyways remote controled humans wont push us away from a world like that

[ZenBudha]

Sounds like basically all they're doing is stimulating the inner ear. Thus making a person feel like they're off balance. In doing so allowing the controller to make them turn left or right.

Pretty far off from actually controlling a human. Also I would think that long term use might permanently throw off a persons natural balance. As you would get used to the off-balnce feeling sitting in your chair. Then when you are walking and get off balance you might forget to catch yourself. Thus unlearning all of that hard work you did when you were 2 years old learning to walk.

Reminds me of the Barony Chair at the Air Force base. Where they tell you to place your arms, and head in a certain position and then slowly rotate the chair. Then they tell you to sit up and do like a touchdown sign. Yet you freak out because when you sit up it feels like you are falling backwards, Or forwards, or to the sides depending on what position you were in, and which way they spin the chair.
I assure you as well that out of 25 AFJROTC cadets at least a dozen got sick, and half as many hurled their cookies.

[hike1]

galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), unbalances a person so that they automatically veer left or right in an attempt to rebalance themselves.

Older folks sometimes get the chemical soup in the inner ear , it's responsible for our sense of balance, out of whack, I had it once, staggered around for 3 days, wanted to kill myself, about as far from 'gaming' as you can get.

[AndyCR]

galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS), unbalances a person so that they automatically veer left or right in an attempt to rebalance themselves.

Older folks sometimes get the chemical soup in the inner ear , it's responsible for our sense of balance, out of whack, I had it once, staggered around for 3 days, wanted to kill myself, about as far from 'gaming' as you can get.

hmm. scrub that. flight simulators maybe?

[Spyrewolf]

hmm. scrub that. flight simulators maybe?

yes and they, say in the article about driving games, as well,

there could actually be alot of possiblity with this you don't need a force strong enough that it will rattle your senses to make you puke,

but this is a good way of simulating gravity, this has heaps of potential, imagine, sitting on the tram in half life one and have it gentlly rocking you from side to side, or being hit in the stomach, have you lean , or in the back, have you lean back, these probaly would require larger forces and may not be too suitable, however for simulations in planes/space combat games this has a heap of potential.

also in the car sense when you plant you foot down have it lean you backwards, so it feels like your being pushed back into your chair, or the opposite when you slam on the breaks have you lean forward,

Maybe this is the Nintendo revolution's new game controller they have been so hush hush about? makes you wonder....

[SithMaster]

also in the car sense when you plant you foot down have it lean you backwards, so it feels like your being pushed back into your chair, or the opposite when you slam on the breaks have you lean forward

a good way to remember to buckle up.

this would be great for improving the immersion of games. Instead of running into a room guns blazing and continuing dieing you'd think twice because instead of you being all like its just a game now youre all like well its still a game but it feels real. If it feels real then i for one would feel a sense of accomplishment after beating thinking all those hours spent playing it amounted ot something.

but really this could be a precursor to more advanced gaming. If anyone has ever seen those old ps2 comercials they know what im talking about.