It's kind of creepy but in that "sweet! I'd love to use that on someone else" kind of way. Japanese researchers have actually created a very primitive prototype of a device that allows someone to essentially control the movement of another human being, via a control that looks shockingly like just a sophisticated RC car controller.

So how does it work? Apparently pushing one direction sends a quick jolt to the head that makes you think you're falling over on the other side, forcing you to move the other direction. Of course, the human in question has to be wearing special external devices around his or her head for the whole thing to work. The most useful form of this technology would be for medical reasons - for example, it could help to correct someone who has a balance disorder. Additionally, it could be used to create "more realistic virtual reality simulations." Hopefully we're far away from a world where anyone can just remotely control us without our consent (though that would make an excellent movie plot - and if you're reading this, Spielberg, I expect royalties if you take my idea).

Since the remote control is using a roundabout way of changing a person's direction, the movement is kind of awkward, and as you can tell from this YouTube video, it really looks like that girl is not moving on her own volition, because of the way she sways. It almost looks like she's being pulled by an invisible string.

More at Technology Review. Via TechEBlog

Report Published by: Mark Raby