Here I was, sailing the deep seas of the internet and are suddenly encounter a blog that caught my attention. I started looking threads and found one on the NerverGear, the helmet that can take you to the virtual world of anime Sword Art Online. My goal is not to debate this topic on the anime, since this is not the appropriate place, but specifically on the helmet and say why it is a not very distant reality. I'll tell you that the text will be rather large, but those interested, read, will not regret. Let's GO!
But ... What is NerveGear?
Many people do not see anime, or did not see or know this specifically, then, here's a basic explanation: In 2012, the anime Sword Art Online (SAO) showed a fictitious reality - and well palpable - as we could see in terms of Virtual reality technology in the year 2022. The NerveGear, shown in the anime, is a helmet that reads and sends information to the brain. It serves to read and transform into brain pulse commands within the virtual world and to send pulses to the brain in order to emulate sensation and perception. In the case of anime, sending impulses is so advanced that the helmet can make the user to disconnect from the real world and feel literally inside a virtual world. In technical terms what the helmet sends are several images per second to the brain in order to emulate an environment (how many frames per second? I do not know, but no lag, then it's more than 24), this along with sensations of pain , cold, ect. All this while keeping the user in a semi-coma, unable to feel, hear, or move your body in the real world, also the result of sending electrical impulses to the brain.
When I saw this I found very plausible, including the date, 2022. When the anime went however, although many people have found a cool idea, skepticism was huge in discussions when it would actually be possible: "2022 not in 2050 we have something !!! ". The skepticism was due to the fact no one even be researching something, and they had not any virtual reality devices in reasonable time (at least not widely publicized). Coincidence or not, in 2012 (the same year the anime) the "Oculus Rift" appeared in a technology fair, and left big names in the games industry baffled with the immersion that he could pass.
Oculus Rift?
The Oculus Rift is a device created by Palmer Luckey, an amateur games in seeking a more immersive experience. The idea of the Oculus Rift left the Palmer frustration after testing various virtual reality devices and disappointed with each of them. In 2012 he presented his project at a technology fair and the result was much higher than he expected. Big fish like the owner of Steam and other companies offered millions in investment for research, development and mass production of the device.
The Oculus Rift is not just a rectangular display in front of you, he gives you the same field of vision of the human eye - that reaches almost 180 degrees. Combine this with the motion sensor to emulate human vision when you turn your head.
After capital investment of large companies started the project to transform what was a prototype (which could be purchased through a more than $ 300 donation to the project on Kickstarter) in a commercially viable device. And then started the changes, improvements launched and, guess what? SUCCESS!
The biggest problem the company still faces the Oculus Rift (or facing) is the sick feeling that many people felt (some had no problems) after prolonged use of the device. The second cause explanations of analysts, was due to absurd soaking the device causes. To put it simply, the sense of immersion is so great that your brain think you're seeing something real, just that, as the prototype still gives some lags from time to time and still can not graphically convey the feeling of fluides real world (responsible for the device say that the final version that has been almost completely corrected), the human brain is confused and hence comes the feeling of sickness and malaise. This also occurs in games in first person, it is quite common. They say that the final version had this and other outstanding issues, but never had the opportunity to test ... As I understand technology however, I am pretty sure that the device still has several bugs, and "things" that will need be improved. "Things" that will come in the second corrected version of the device, which will be better than the first (it will be repeated in version 3 and ect, but not as ridiculously as will happen from version 1 to 2). It is the same that occurs with new processor architectures, the jump from first to second version is always the biggest.
Still not enough!
Only emulate the environment eye will not give a near SAO experience, since you will still need a manual control (mouse or joystick) to move. The solution for this already exists as the video below shows through the simultaneous use of glasses with the Emotiv EPOC Rift and the Razer Hydra - all available for purchase on the Internet.
The Emotiv EPOC can read electrical signals produced by the brain when we think, feel or do facial expressions. But how does it work? Example: When you think of "moving forward" the device will detect the brain wave created by that thought, giving a code to it - like 11101010 - then the device software will convert that number into a simpler reading, marking the code to 1, that the program's language could be the floor of command forward. This process will be repeated for the thought of "going backwards", "aside", ect. After this calibration, game software would read the entry sent by EPOC software (the number converted to 1, 2, 3, ect) and would make virtual avatar in the game walk forward or back, side, depending on the code sent. For every person is different, so before using one of these would be necessary to calibrate your brain impulses to the device, walk forward to you can be the impetus detected as the code 11153612, 11126001 to someone else, that is, the impulse may look like but it is never the same in all people. The direction is given by the user's head since the Oculus Rift has a motion sensor. And as the Emotiv EPOC still does not seem accurate enough to be able to move his arms with agility, the Razer Hydra unit is used to emulate the movement of hands and arms in the game. You can find many users videos calibrating and using EPOC, worth checking out.
Would not it dangerous ?!
Of course the main SAO still have not (or at least not for sale on the Internet for now), which is a device that sends waves to the brain in order to emulate and control sensations and perceptions. But from the moment you read the brain becomes something simple, I do not see why write it will be complicated. If the device can record the pulse coded as 11122210 is arm pain, nothing prevents that it can be optimized to send that 11122210 boost for your brain to make you think you're in pain in the arm. The biggest problem are the dangers that "writing in the brain" has (SAO even showed some of them how you hold in a coma and delete or manipulate their memories). But thinking logically, these devices that send impulses to the brain must come with "engines" unable to create very strong impulses and potentially harmful to the brain, so even that give trouble, the signal they send is so weak that impossible cause data real to the person's brain. But we will have to wait to be sure.
The Perfect World
I am holding myself to use in games here, but it is logical that the application of this device will far beyond that. You can travel to France without leaving home, meet her boyfriend (a) in a long-distance relationship - to be far less lonely - meet with the family even more each other than on a planet or even create your own private virtual world. The porn industry will profit absurd in creating games with companions or realistic virtual companions (even if the sensations emulator is already up and running). Whether sees potential it already has a game with realistic graphics and women created from the motion capture real actresses in dev elopment pro Oculus Rift!
My fear is that in the future people will lock up within these virtual worlds - to be better than your reality in most cases. This already happens in MMORPG online, but immersion is still very low and most one sees controlling a puppet than actually feeling within the game. Now, when you feel inside of it, can turn your body out of shape on a muscular body (or model for women) and having a partner or companion (an NPC with a median AI created by you) perfect both aesthetically, when in terms of personality, by his side 100% of the time, you'll want to get out of there? I'm afraid the answer, especially individuals with weak and disturbed psychological. And for people with a less fertile imagination, think that you could have your actor / actress or favorite idol beside him "doing what you want" all day, but you would have very close feelings the real world. Would you like to leave this place?
The temptation is so great that I venture even a possible lock the device after so many hours of use, to prevent people lock up in his private virtual worlds and do not want to leave the house, go to work or even feed themselves properly. The problem is that as well as unlock consoles to play pirated games, nothing prevents them discover how to unlock something too.
But when it comes? I'm crazy to buy! -q
Take into account that the virtual reality of beta testing will start in a few years with the launch of Morpheus (virtual reality glasses from Sony), it is not hard to believe that in 2022 there to be with something very close to what was shown in SAO . After all, look where cell phones were 10 years ago, only served to make connection. Today are handheld computers with more powerful processing that a top PC 10 years ago. At about four years when the first smartphones were launched doubted they could have graphics of a console ... Has anyone played Infinite Blade 3? or Real Racing 3? None of them is far behind the graphics of an Xbox 360.
The business is now wait and prepare, because the future of virtual reality will start in 2014. And if there's one thing everyone who tested the Oculus Rift agree, is that it will change the form of entertainment in gaming as we know it.
What do you think?
And you, what they think of it? What are your expectations for 2022 in terms of technology?
Well, if one day it really come to become a reality, most likely thing, I probably only use my time in the real world to work and spend the rest in a virtual world. I must say that I approve of in parts.
It is also likely to be not such a striking, something like SAO same. At first, greatest revolution, everyone buying ... Then it would become something very casual. But of course that would have people (which I consider SICK) that pass all day playing, as well as in current MMORPGs.
I think the bid of the risks to the brain would be the biggest problem. No matter the instructions vinhessem, timers, regulators who do the simulation is "less real" would always have trickster wanting to find a way. Bum is cool, says Davy Jones. It's like Nintendo. The cartridge told not to blow, and when the cartridge did not work people did what?
Of course, I'm also looking forward, what I most want is a bit of adrenaline / share. Always enjoyed more hardcore games (where you die long before passing of each part, like "Dark Souls") then I would see a game type SAO focused on physical fights proximity and little magic. As adventure / medieval fan nothing would please me more than using a sword / shield or dual blades and out killing monsters, bosses and players feeling that it was really me who was there doing everything. :geek: :geek: :ugeek: :ugeek: :ugeek: :ugeek: :geek: :geek:
