Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Ultimate Hack

I was watching a movie in my human anatomy class today, and I saw an amazing invention. This machine, built by a Japanese telephone corporation allows for the ultimate hack. I'm not talking about hacking into uber-encrypted, top security government servers and systems. And I'm not talking about hacking your automobile to get more miles for your gas money. Oh no. I'm talking about something much more exciting. I'm talking about this:

Plankton takes over Sponge Bob's mind

Yes, thats right. A Japanese company has discovered a way to hack the human mind and turn a normal person into a remote control car!

This technology, called galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) uses low level electric pulses from electrodes to stimulate the inner ear. Because the ear controls your balance using liquid filled tubes, scientists have been playing around with electricity to effect human balance. And now they have succeeded.

With this new technology, it is possible to have a person move either left or right while walking by stimulating their ear's balance mechanism. While you can not be forced to move left or right specifically (at least not by this device), because of the way your brain reacts to the electrical stimuli, it will feel as if you are falling unless you move in the direction the remote control tells you to move in.

While I can see this technology being very, very useful in those "non-lethal" military situations, NTT has a different idea for the technology. Video games. With the ability to physically effect how someone feels currently, such as making them dizzy or feel like they are moving in a certain direction, the video game possibilities are endless. The GVS also has the capability of being used to help people with balance disorders, or even as human GPS!

What do you think? Is this much control over the human mind good or bad? If you had the chance to use this technology to be controlled by a stranger as a tourist attraction, would you?