Has anyone seen this article?

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]

http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/10/brain-computer-interface-for-second-life/

 It's interesting though I'm not sure gamer will like it :)

Lets see if I'm going to put that sh*t on my head and have all sorts of problems. Hells no! I will stick with convential controllers and user my brains on regular controls.

So much irony...

Ditto though.  If they can pull some information out of my brain, they can pull more...

yeah this sounds very sociable doesn't it, I can just imagine the wife saying something then me flying into a rage as I stop thinking for a second to answer her question then flying int oa rage.

Think i'll give it a miss

want to know what it'll do when you got dirty mind when playing that game

Right after Nintendo get's people out of the couch they but them right back.

Seems like it would take alot of concentration. I like to do other things while I play games like talk on the phone and watch TV.

Man that's some cool technology. I wouldn't like it for video games, but the fact that it is possible is pretty neat.

Great, I don't want to know what happens if some people think about naughty +18 things.