Last March, British scientists from York and Warwick universities introduced the concept of the Virtual Cocoon. At first glance, it looks like an exaggerated headset that can pose as a huge black fishbowl in one’s face. But there’s more to it than meets the eye – in fact, more than meets the five senses.
What sets apart the Virtual Cocoon from the normal headgear is its proposed notion of Real Virtuality. With this feature, it should be able to simulate five senses inside the headgear.
Yes, the five senses.
That will increase the interactivity of commercial and free virtual worlds inside the headset. So if you find it hard to believe, here is an illustration of their concept:
Because it is still mostly in proof of concept mode, we should not expect it to come out of retail stores in a few weeks. But this does not mean we won’t get to see it find its way in our everyday life. Imagine what such a technology can bring?
A few years ago, one would find it hard to imagine a headset which can simulate the five senses. So if there are more ridiculous ideas out there for virtual world accessories and similar software and hardware, I’m thinking it won’t be much impossible in the future. So I don’t find it hard to believe when people can eventually experience food and drinks!
But on to the more pressing implications of the technology: if in the past free virtual world companies were getting their revenues from selling accessories to avatars which appeal to the visual senses, will we see the commercialization of accessories for other senses? Let’s say different designer scents. It’s a real possibility.
Imagine also how this would work out in video games. Think for a moment.
What if you had to smell a certain scent in order to advance past a stage – certainly useful for platform adventure games? I’m sure if the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game would have been designed with the Virtual Cocoon in mind, we would get to experience Wolverine’s heightened senses. Nifty.
This can also bring enhanced interactivity for relatives across the globe, further tightening the community of the Global Village. We can get to see families and friends from different countries, asking each other if the perfume they are wearing is suitable for their look. Stuff like that. Accordingly, this can also bode well not only for entertainment but also for education and business.
However, there are fears with this technology. If anything, this will only increase the seclusion of the most hardcore gamers of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Five senses in a headgear will certainly increase the immersion experience of the gamer – and there will be concerns whether gamers can even remove themselves from this virtual world.
For these people, the real world is their virtual world. And that’s scary – more of plugged Matrix volunteers.
“The idea is not to replace reality but to complement it,” said Professor Alan Chalmers of Warwick University, at an event organized by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
I doubt that’s possible with the most hardcore gamers. But maybe it’s worth a time. Again, as have been stated over and over again: a technology almost takes ten years before it gets integrated thoroughly into society. So with such features crammed in this headset, it’s not that bad to be one of its early guinea pigs.
Let’s just hope in the future that the Virtual Cocoon can become smaller than the oversized fishbowl it looks like today. But hey, it takes time. According to Professor Chalmers, expect this thing of beauty in five years.
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