Brain-computer interface for Second Life
While recent developments in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology have given humans the power to mentally control computers, nobody has used the technology in conjunction with the Second Life online virtual world — until now.
A research team led by professor Jun’ichi Ushiba of the Keio University Biomedical Engineering Laboratory has developed a BCI system that lets the user walk an avatar through the streets of Second Life while relying solely on the power of thought. To control the avatar on screen, the user simply thinks about moving various body parts — the avatar walks forward when the user thinks about moving his/her own feet, and it turns right and left when the user imagines moving his/her right and left arms.
The system consists of a headpiece equipped with electrodes that monitor activity in three areas of the motor cortex (the region of the brain involved in controlling the movement of the arms and legs). An EEG machine reads and graphs the data and relays it to the BCI, where a brain wave analysis algorithm interprets the user’s imagined movements. A keyboard emulator then converts this data into a signal and relays it to Second Life, causing the on-screen avatar to move. In this way, the user can exercise real-time control over the avatar in the 3D virtual world without moving a muscle.
Future plans are to improve the BCI so that users can make Second Life avatars perform more complex movements and gestures. The researchers hope the mind-controlled avatar, which was created through a joint medical engineering project involving Keio’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Tsukigase Rehabilitation Center, will one day help people with serious physical impairments communicate and do business in Second Life.
(For video of the Second Life BCI, check the links on the Ushida & Tomita Laboratory news page, right above the first photo.)
[Source: Nikkei Net]
Trouble is, *thinking* about performing an action is still different than actually doing it. You still won’t have the sense of “being there” that this kind of research suggests. Worse yet, that kind of experience is impossible without somehow suppressing your real-world responses. If I raise my hand, my actual hand will go up, regardless of how my avatar responds to the impulse.
Interesting, but not anywhere close to the sort of thing most people will assume it implies (IMHO).
[…] Brain-computer interface for Second Life […]
[…] El profesor Jun’ichi Ushiba de la Universidad de Biomedical Engineering Laboratory ha creado el sistema BCI, que es capaz de mover el avatar del Second Life con el cerebro y una serie de movimientos corporales… […]
Brain-computer interface is used in Second Life online virtual world…
With the brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has empowered humans to mentally control computers. Up till now no one thought of exploiting this technology in concurrence with the Second Life online virtual world. A research team led by professor …
@Mac: What you are thinking of, and what subsequently leads you to assume everyone is, is full immersion: transfer or your consciousness into the avatar. You are correct to say that one should not confuse that with this, which is direct control of an external entity (be the avatar a purely software based one, such as your double in Second Life) or a phsyical one (we already have implant tech that allows monkeys to control robotic hands) via EEG monitoring… which is still damn cool, IMHO. ;)
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[…] When the user just thinks about moving his arm or leg the BCI system correlates the movements to a keyboard emulator, which then controls the action in Second Life. Since the system is limited to basic actions, there are plans to improve the BCI for more elaborate movements. Even though the researchers hope this will help psychically impaired people communicate and do business in Second Life, we still think the first life, real life, is more important. [Nikkei Net via Pink Tentacle] […]
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[…] Brain-computer interface for Second Life. A research team led by professor Jun’ichi Ushiba of the Keio University Biomedical Engineering […]
[…] Researchers at the Tomita and Ushida Laboratory of Keio University in Japan have developed a brain-computer interface that allows a person to control a Second Life avatar just by thinking. (link) […]
[…] Pink Tentacle points out to a recent research where BCI technology is used to control second life avatar. While recent developments in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology have given humans the power to mentally control computers, nobody has used the technology in conjunction with the Second Life online virtual world — until now. […]
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I would love to have that.
this is amazing and will lead to improvements in the quality of life for many with limited physical capabilities. sl already has done this with paraplegic friends. just amazing work
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Would be cool to have virtual keyboard and type away using your mind.
I can’t wait this to support battelfield 2/2142.
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Mac’s post that “… *thinking* about performing an action is still different than actually doing it.” is actually both correct and incorrect. When we walk to the shop we don’t think about our balance, about breathing, about the movement of feet. When we were young we had to (well maybe not breathing but perhaps if you go back early enough….). We do this things automatically as we have learnt how to string such thoughts/impulses together. Games are actually how children learn and improve balance and motion and so on. Having such a tool integrated into a game is a good way to help this technology advance.
I think this is a great news. As a disabled myself, I think it’s great there are people working on technologies like this one. I play massive multiplayer online role-playing games, not Second Life though, and I do not have too much trouble but with my disease it can make me worse and I fear I would lose my favorite hobby where I get the chance to socialize online and do all those things regular people do which I wouldn’t be able to do in real life. I get to be at the same level for once with everyone else. I have troubles though with other videogames where the devs have made over complicated controls, they have completely forgotten that games are supposed to be FUN. Such a device would be great.
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[…] interface (BCI)–a helmet type doodad that records brain signals–that allows someone to control a Second Life avatar. Just by thinking about moving forward, you get your SL avatar to move forward. Think […]
[…] The team led by professor Jun’ichi Ushiba (at Keio University Biomedical Engineering Laboratory) has ideated a BCI tool to move an avatar of Second Life, using an EEG apparatus to monitorate the activity in three areas of motor cortex and implementing an algorithm to produce the imagined motion pattern: “the avatar walks forward when the user thinks about moving his/her own feet, and it turns right and left when the user imagines moving his/her right and left arms”. [Source: Pinktentacle.com] […]
That’s AMAZING… Making machinima in SL will be easier– just think
Japanese Machinima http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1nzven7jA
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