Oct 27, 2007
LevelHead
Re-blogged from Networked Performance
levelHead is an interactive game that uses a cube, a webcam, and pattern recognition. When the cube is rotated or tilted in front of the camera the user will be able to see ‘inside’ the cube and guide a small avatar through six different rooms.
Pattern recognition has already been used in several other projects, but this is a new way of using it, and a new way of thinking of the technology. The idea behind the game itself is rather simple. When the cube is tilted the avatar moves in the corresponding direction. The goal of the game is to guide him through a maze of rooms connected by doors, and lead him to the outside world.
According to the creater, Julian Oliver, the game is currently in development, but will be released as open-source soon.
Check out the explanatory video.
15:25 Posted in Augmented/mixed reality | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: future interfaces
Effects of natural stress relief meditation on trait anxiety
Effects of natural stress relief meditation on trait anxiety: a pilot study.
Psychol Rep. 2007 Aug;101(1):130-4
Authors: Coppola F
Natural Stress Relief meditation, a mental technique which is practiced for 15 minutes twice a day, aims to reduce stress and anxiety by eliciting a specific state of physiological rest along with mental alertness. The meditation is taught in a self-administered program, requiring one hour of training during the first three days, followed by the regular twice daily practice. Each 15-min. session consists in sitting quietly with closed eyes while applying a specific mental procedure. To test the effectiveness of meditation in reducing trait anxiety, Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to 25 participants four times over a 3-wk. period: one week before starting to practice the meditation, a few hours before starting, 1 wk. after, and 2 wk. after. The difference in Trait Anxiety score between pretreatment and before starting the practice was not significant, while it was significant both after the first week of practice (Cohen d=.46) and after the first 2 wk. of practice (d=.67).
15:23 Posted in Meditation & brain | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: meditation, neuroscience
Pocket Supercomputer
15:21 Posted in Research tools | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: data mining