Researchers create a virtual environment system in which you can pick up fake objects with real effort.
Posted 04.03.2013 at 10:59 am
7 Comments
Maybe this is how we'll work out in the future: throw on a pair of shorts, strap on our virtual reality goggles, and hit the weights.
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison are doing something like that (although, of course, the weights don't weigh anything) by creating a virtual reality simulator called the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment, or just CAVE, that works by tracking your muscle movements. Users put on a pair of goggles and strap electromyography (EMG) equipment onto their arms, step into a room that projects images of objects, and interact with faux-3-D stuff. Specifically, in the video here, the researchers are having the users pick up a weightless weight.
By using the EMG to track how users pick up a real weight, the researchers can determine the movements necessary to pick up a weight in the invented environment. Grab hold, stiffen your arm, and lift. It doesn't sound like much of a workout, but the researchers say it could be useful in therapy for people recovering from a stroke or other illness.
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This could also be used where a higher level of adaptive robot is needed, perhaps in space or hostile environments, etc.
This has AWESOME potential for video games. They could give physical feedback making them more realistic.
@Vuyking What this does is track your physical movement and input it into a virtual setting, taking bullets in Call of Duty would be an inverse of this... and would f***** hurt.
Although if playing games like Call of Duty and Battlefield required physical input/output, they would be played very differently. Running from one end of Caspian Border to the other? Getting jet-rammed? Head or nut shot? It would probably make for a less enjoyable experience.
@Vuyking
I am with you. This would be awesome and if you did it right you could trick people into getting exercise while playing their games.
Large open warehouses where people put on this gear and something like the oculus Rift and then they basically step into the game for real. U would pay a large amount of$ for something like that.
Ok, now Battlefield or COD with real weights for gear as well as physical recoil effects and some somewhat painful impact and you'd end up with a map full of campers (with exceptions of course).
Fearless remote control drone robotic warriors and a larger choice of camouflage!
Careful, that trash can around you house might be a robotic remote sniper!
TRANSFORMERS!
@nooneyouknow, mitej, vuyking
this sounds like game runner(book)