We’ve all been there, romping through digital landscapes with stiff, unresponsive virtual avatars. Blocks of wood regale with a wider range of expression and passion than most of our online characters. That’s a problem, since body language is a huge part of communication (and cybering). The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics decided to see just how huge. New Scientist has the story.
The trick is getting more body language into the VR world without strapping you up head to toe in motion sensors. Then again, if the experience was good enough, maybe people wouldn’t mind wearing skinsuits. You know, for exploring the wonders of virtual reality, the landscape of expression and the human soul (and cybering).