Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation

Posted 31 Oct 2005 at 20:20 UTC by steve

Rog-a-matic pointed out a recent story we missed the first time around. Instead of trying to make autonomous robots, a group of researchers at NTT are trying to make remote-control humans, according to a CNN article. The researchers are using a technique called galvanic vestibular stimulation (PDF format) to override the normal sense of balance, causing a person to involuntarily move in the desired direction. The technique could be used to give the elderly an improved sense of balance that would prevent them from falling. It could also provide a sense of balance within virtual reality and telepresence environments. The research is part of a larger project with the ominous name of Parasitic Humanoid.