To recap: biofeedback is a way of learning to manage stress and possibly improve health by taking biometric data about your body (e.g. skin conductivity), tying it to feedback mechanisms, and giving guidance on how to use the feedback to get desired results, e.g. reducing your body's reaction to stress. Biofeedback games make this a wee bit more interesting than just watching a graph or listening to a tone. A variety of biofeedback games exist (see website link below), but so far these are standalone single-player activities.
The InnerLife proposal seeks to build an area in Second Life that would consist of activities using biometric data as individuals or in groups for this kind of purpose, along with other activities, events, and areas designed to promote health and wellness. The project is envisioned as a cooperative effort in which all group members can share their viewpoints an experience in developing activities and events.
I've posted about this before, once back in January and once last week. Earlier proposals supposed that this might be a commercial enterprise with a monthly subscription fee. However, to make it worth paying a fee, a large investment would need to be made upfront to develop professional, polished content, and the main company I have been corresponding with on this has decided that now isn't the time to invest in multiplayer online games. (
)Knowing that other groups have managed to get these sorts of large themed builds off the ground before, I did some asking around and here is the model I would now like to propose. Please respond to the poll if you're interested, and also join the new InnerLife group if you'd like to be kept informed of developments.
1 - This will be a non-profit co-op project. All efforts are voluntary, though there are opportunities to sell items or services within the InnerLife theme as options (see Charter Member land, below). Any incidental revenues collected by the main project will be used for project needs.
2 - The first hardware supported will probably be a simple skin conductivity level sensor, e.g. the MindGrowth GSR2. List price for this input device is about US$60. I am hoping to arrange for a volume discount. The GSR2 also works in standalone mode, so you can carry it around and practice what you're learning in InnerLife while stuck in a traffic jam, waiting for a table at a restaurant, etc.
We hope to add other, more sophisticated hardware, such as heart rate or brainwave sensors, later, as vendor support and/or open-source tools permit.3 - Access to biofeedback activities may require a one-time hardware registration fee, but most or all activities and events will not require any other fee. The registration fee, if required, will be used to offset project costs, e.g. texture uploads, external server fees, etc.
4 - We will need approximately 20 "Charter" members willing to pay US$15-20/month to rent the island sim on which to host InnerLife. In exchange for this payment, each Charter Member will receive an allotment of about 2000msq tier-free land on the island, on which they may build to their choice, within the theme of InnerLife. Guidelines will be made clear before anyone is asked to sign up, and prospective Charter Members will have the opportunity to help shape those guidelines via the project website. It may be necessary for Charter Members to pay their portion several months in advance, to help reduce the risk of Charter Members dropping out and leaving others stuck for the island costs. Charter Member land will constitute about 2/3 of the island. Charter Members may sell items or services related to the InnerLife theme on their land.
5 - The remainder of the island, 20,000+msq, will be a common building area for the InnerLife activities and event areas. A proposal describing suggested activities and event areas has been prepared and will be posted to the project website shortly for consideration by the InnerLife development group. Common area activities and events are intended to be free to the Second Life community.
6 - We will also need builders, scripters, texturers, etc. and there is room for greeters and other folks as well in this project. These people need not be Charter Members.
Ok, I think that about covers it. If there are further questions, please post them here. Otherwise, make your interest known in the poll.
Thanks,
neko