Just when you thought that Microsoft couldn’t think any more out of the box than the Kinect already is, say hello to the wearable EMG (Electromyography) device.
All those little arrows, numbers, and lights or what have you, essentially mean that you can control some sort of electronic device with a flick of the wrist (possibly) or any other body gesture or movement. In the armband example pictured above, the “controller” could be used in any setup since there won’t be any camera needed to capture movement like with the PlayStation Move or Kinect. By doing a bit of calibration of the EMG device, users will be able to use it with any setup they have. No more working around the type of setup you already have to accommodate your new controller. Kind of like what EA Sports Active 2 already did.
Talks of possible controller types are like the armband above, but they get a bit more creative than that. A shirt, wearable eyeglasses, and nodes that attach to the user’s body.
When you get to the point where you need to get things like shirts and glasses and even nodes that you attach to your body, that’s getting a bit too Deus Ex-y for me. Real life “augmentations” so you can play your video game? That’s a bit too much for me. Although the technology is awesome and all, I feel that games don’t really give you that same feeling without an actual controller in hand. Sure, with the Kinect you can play Burnout Paradise by pretending to hold on to a steering wheel and putting the petal to the imaginary metal there, but it’s just not the same.
What do you guys think about the EMG device? Do you think it’s a good idea? Will it be a flop? Leave your thoughts on the new tech down below.
Source: Engadget
