Oct 18, 2006
Hyper-Reality Head-Dome Projector
Toshiba has unveiled a new head-mounted display - the "Hyper-Reality Head-Dome Projector" that allows the wearer to experience a full 360-degree view on a 40 centimetre dome-shaped screen... here are some technical details (from SID2006)
the system consists of a compact dome-shaped screen with a radius of 40 cm, a mobile projector with ultra-wide projection lens, and LED light sources. The system exhibits a wide viewing angle of 120° horizontally by 70° vertically without head tracking, and 360° × 360° with head tracking.
01:05 Posted in Virtual worlds | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: virtual reality
Oct 16, 2006
I/O Plant
The always interesting Mauro Cherubini's moleskin has a post about a tool for designing a content that utilize plants as an input-output interface. Dubbed I/O Plant, the system allows to connect actuators, sensors and database servers to living plants, making them a part of an electric circuit or a network terminal.
22:55 Posted in Future interfaces | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: future interfaces
Reuters opens virtual news bureau in 'Second Life'
Via Smart Mobs
New.com reports that Reuters is opening at a news bureau in the simulation game Second Life this week. Journalists will report financial and cultural stories within and about Second Life as part of the London-based company's strategy to reach new audiences with the latest digital technologies."Second Life" citizens can stay tuned to the latest headlines by using a feature called the Reuters News Center, a mobile device that users can carry inside the virtual environment. Stories will focus on both the fast-growing economy and culture of "Second Life" and also include links to Reuters news feeds from the outside world, ranging from Baghdad to Wall Street.
22:05 Posted in Serious games, Virtual worlds | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: virtual reality
Deep brain stimulation may help revive head-trauma victims
From WashingtonPost.com
Researchers at Cornell University's Weill Medical College in New York, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and the JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison, N.J., have tried deep-brain stimulation (a procedure that involves inserting tiny electrodes into the brain to stimulate specific regions) on a patient in a minimally conscious state. In previous studies, DBS has been successfully used for treating Parkinson's disease, severe pain, epilepsy, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The patient was a 38-year-old man who had suffered a severe brain injury that left him in a minimally conscious state for six years, unable to communicate or function. After an intensive four-month evaluation to assess his capabilities, surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic implanted electrodes into parts of his brain known as the thalamus, believed to be involved in helping integrate the functions of other areas.
According to the researchers, the stimulation promoted significant improvement in the man's abilities to move, communicate and function, including his abilities to eat and respond verbally. They reported that even when the stimulation is off, the patient continues to demonstrate improved "gestural and verbal communication abilities," which suggests that the stimulation may be having lasting effects on his brain. These findings were presented at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Atlanta.
21:39 Posted in Cybertherapy | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: deep-brain stimulation