Paralysed man takes a walk in virtual world

I think they were referring to the avatar options.

Furry and human are the most common avatars

This is an incredibly positive thing. I love stories like this, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside about Second Life. But one sentence in the story caught my eye:

"Second Life is an increasingly popular virtual world in which people -- and animals -- are represented by animated avatars and do everything from social activities to shopping."

Animals? WTF. PEOPLE are represented by avatars, which certainly can take on animal forms, but animals aren't represented by anything. lol. Holy crap. Maybe Puppet really IS a black lab in RL! Tegg is an honest to God kangaroo! Ann is a...well...she's still a people, but she has cat ears and a tail.

People, PLEASE. For the love of God, keep your pets off the grid. Even if they are 18 in dog years, they aren't mature enough to handle the content.

EDIT: lol - dang. Isabeau is one step ahead of me.

Cats are people too.

you know what? my cat has been acting awfully suspicious lately.........

Maybe we are really avatars who think we are human?

if they can hook that up to a human brain, why not an animal brain. i wonder what would happen in the game itself if they tried it.

A rise in the average intelligence at some areas...


Most would fit right in at various club venues

They could use an owl and have it go HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO every 30 seconds.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2832159720080529?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

I'll try uploading my brain, as long as its NOT to the asset server.

By december 2008 a brain scanner that acts as an input device for pc games, that require some concentration to work (wich is guaranteed in Real time action games) due to the low resolution of the scanner, may cost as little as 300 USD.

Apes can learn to control a robot arm by thought only for almost 2 years now.
Im no brain expert but there is one small but significant difference in brain structure fom Humans to Apes and other animals, that is the neocortex, the outer front part, that also enables modelling and abstraction. Without that theres not so much to scan for when it omes to SL.

In other news: voice recognition software still sucks, so the only new thing is that the scanner can be aware of our decisions before you become aware of your decisions, reducing the lag of decision making to action, a big advantage in HL2.

What's the source for this? I'm not doubting you, but if it's true, I'll be the first one in line with $300.00 in my hand.

I'd like a robot arm on my desk that I can control with my thoughts. I'd have it feed me snacks and backhand the idiots who come into my office and give me grief.

There is a theory about that, forget what it's called but the thinking is that people will grow worlds to try and work out how to prevent disease and such like and that we could very well be in that scenario!

It's a minor wonder of science that someone who is paralysed is able to access and participate in SL via brainwaves. So the technology and research is obviously worthwhile.

However, I don't see direct brain-control being generally relevant for those of us whose RLs are able to use a mouse, keyboard, joystick or whatever, as there would be no point. Every time an RL thinks they've left a tap on or something we'll suddenly veer to the left or take off all our clothes!

SIMPLE!! Get yerself a Dance Pad for the PC. Windows should recognize it as a joystick, then just map the keys on the mat to keys for movement.

that's when you go blindly into someone else's brain and don't realize it for a while. It eventually hauntingly dawns on you that their brain doesn't have the failsafe escape code that allows you to get out..... oops.

I've read of a web browser made for parrots, so why not?

/me thinks about how it would be to trip into Trouts brain for a bit......goes to lay down.....

I would NOT want the ability to hook the human brain into SL for one reason: Ever try to teach the computer illiterate something??

Me: Ok, now plug this in.
Them: Alright. Now what. I see some land.
Me: Just think about walking.
Them: How do I do that?
Me: Just think about doing it.
Them: Ok. Where do I do that?
Me: In your mind! Just think of doing it.
Them: *sigh* I dont get it. What am I supposed to do?
Me: THINK of moving, walking or just flying!!!
Them: So, um, What do I click on?
Me: *has aneurysm*

facitiousness aside, I half think you're right. But I think the better way of implementing it is to establish a distant target inform the user that they want to get there, then read the ensuing signals then CALL those signals "Walk Forward" training in other actions takes a similar training method.

Have not read the middle bits of this thread but I am inworld ,as I type, and pose the question.Can a non paralyzed man walk in second life..because tonight there is so much pigging lag I can't

we're tards now?

it'll be like zork.

look east
open mailbox
use key
use key
use key
use the damn key!