For some time I've been curious about biofeedback. I had wanted to see if I could teach myself to change things like the electrical potential of my skin just by thinking about it. But I figured that university research labs would be the only people with the equipment to measure things like that.
Then I read about a Myst-style game that comes with a USB set of biofeedback sensors. They are three ringlike things you put on your fingers that measure things about your physical state. All the puzzles and game challenges are based on these sensors. Basically, you control things simply by thinking about them.
I'm really excited about this. I really like the idea of combining biofeedback training with a modern video game. I hope the game is a success, because I want to see more of them.
This particular game may seem a bit lame, as it only has about 10 hours of gameplay if you go straight through. But whenever you unlock a level you can go back to it at any time. The levels are almost like meditation exercises. Having a multimedia biofeedback session available at any time would be really cool.
The game costs about $130. That seems like a lot, but consider that actual biofeedback therapy or traning costs thousands of dollars. New games usually run about $50, so the biofeedback sensors are $80. That seems fair to me.
Here's the first bit of the article that I read. I was reading the library's paper copy. Viewing the full text requires a subscription to the website.
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Quote:
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Emerging Technology
The Anti-Video Game
A revolutionary idea that could convert critics of these virtual worlds
By Steven Johnson
DISCOVER Vol. 24 No. 12 | December 2003 | Technology
On my computer screen, a jewel-encrusted bow points skyward, with an arrow pulled back and ready to fire. In the distance, I can see a bull’s-eye planted in front of a Himalayan landscape. Slowly I lower the bow until the arrow is fixed on the target. For a second, I overcompensate and the arrow points toward the ground. I catch my breath, pull the bow up, and then release. The arrow sails across the virtual terrain and lands with a small flash at the center of the bull’s-eye.
Here’s the catch: I’m not aiming that arrow with a joystick, or a keyboard, or a mouse. I’m aiming it with my mood.
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Here's the link to the company's website:
http://www.wilddivine.com
