Forget joysticks--EEG Game Controllers

By Alex Hutchinson
Published in the January 2008 issue. popularmechanics
EEG Game Controllers
QUOTE:
"Already, Japanese researchers have demonstrated a prototype system that allows users to move their avatars around the virtual world of Second Life with only the power of their thoughts."

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4236607.html?do=print
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Found at Digg

Hmmmm... given the rampant "Pixel Sex" of SL, I doubt many residents would be able to think clearly enough "move forward, turn left".

Although on the bright side- It'd leave your hands free for other things!!!

Linden Labs can't get even get 80's Joystick technology integrated into the client yet, no chance of something that cutting edge

cutting edge or not anyone can tie something like this into windows with already available software

in the end its just little electric pulses being read as button presses

i once helped a dude get his machine setup to work with a billion button filghtstick using some off the wall freeware windows driver and a little bit of time to map it all

it was pretty cool in the end, he has(d?) it setup where the stick axises walked around, the top hat controlled the mouse and the verious fire buttons performed keyboard macros and mouse clicks

taking that same premise the software would just have to translate to traditional input sources (mouse/keyboard) and from what ive seen on that there cable tv it already does that, even its most basic form (ie velcro headbands and old medical equpment)

Yes, well the dumb thing is the joystick flycam option in the viewer seems useless for an ordinary analog joystick unless you have one of 2 hi-end joysticks with their own software drivers.
And the Wiki doesn't tell you how to use it and few inworld apparently know either. Is it so complicated to make it possible to cam around or fly a spaceship with a generic joystick?

You may have misunderstood what the joystick flycam is designed to be used for. It isn't for navigation or interaction within SL. It's basically a virtual film jib/crane/track cam controller. It works fine with an old two-axis joystick.

As with a RL film, you set up a desired move, then execute it. With the joystick flycam, you can assign multiple virtual axis to a single joystick axis. You may also adjust multipliers for each virtual axis. So, pushing forward on your simple joystick might simultaneously truck the camera forward, while rotating around an axis, while also panning downward. The effect would be a camera that starts above and at a distance in front of a target... as the camera flies over the target, it pans to look straight down at the target while spinning 180*° - all from a single push forward on your joystick.

As for general SL interaction using a joystick, you just need software that let's your joystick emulate a mouse. You can find the software online, anywhere from free to $49. Just search <joystick mouse emulator>.

Of course, if you want to fly a spaceship with your mouse(joystick), then that vehicle will need to be scripted to allow it... using the VEHICLE_FLAG_MOUSELOOK_STEER and VEHICLE_FLAG_MOUSELOOK_BANK flags. Or, just program your joystick software to associate axis direction with arrow keys.