From: latta@sting.Berkeley.EDU (Craig R. Latta)
Subject: Re: VR Sensual Feedback
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 91 23:57:17 GMT
Message-ID: <1991Jan16.235717.21587@agate.berkeley.edu>
Organization: The Experimental Computing Facility (XCF), UC Berkeley


        Bruce Cohen writes:

> Ah, but we can (eat in cyberspace) Use real food, and have the virtual environ
ment
> replace
> the visual and/or tactile sensations of the food with something different,
> if you really want exotic food.  Just like allowing you to pick up a
> priceless Ming vase by having a cheap East Asian copy on the table and
> overlaying it with a image of the Ming.

        That's silly. Then the VR hardware includes an arbitrary amount of
likely expensive food.

> Oh, you wanted to change the taste of the food too?  Wait for release 2.
> But be sure you get the bug-free version; you might not like the overtone
> of diesel-flavored tunafish that the gustatory simulation software adds to
> the caviar ;-).

        No, really. How can a transparent sense of taste be effected without 
disrupting speech or using brain surgery?

        Another disappointing thing about VR is that the basic human form is 
changed from the norm to something with equipment stuck all over it. You
can't convincingly run your hands all over someone in cyberspace.

        And what about my original ideas about tactile feedback? Does anyone
know anything about superconducting repulsion?


-C


-- 
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Craig R. Latta                                  "Instant monotony!
latta@xcf.Berkeley.EDU                                  Just ad nauseum!"
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