From: isdale@illusioninc.com (Jerry Isdale)
Subject: Re: DESIGN: Is there really such a thing as text-based VR?
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 1996 10:14:13 -0800


> > SYNAESTHESIA - THE KILLER APP [much deleted]

A couple years ago I attended one of Mike Heim's VR group meetings
where a local (Hermosa Beach CA) inventor talked up his idea of a
'synaesthetic' force feed back device.  (I believe thats the term he
used.)  Basically, it was a rigid suit (or partial suit) lined with
some sort of vibrator or mini-rod plungers that would give a small
amount of force feedback to the wearer.  The idea was that the body
would extrapolate these small forces into larger ones, given the
context of a virtual environment in which the user was immersed.  I
believe this inventor was in the process of getting a patent, although
he had no real device, mostly just theory and artist renderings.  I
suggested he build a small prototype using something like the shape
metal devices.  No idea if it went anywhere.

Jerry Isdale
Illusion Engineering, Inc.
2660 Townsgate Rd., Suite 530, Westlake Village, CA  91361-2714
Phone:          (805) 371-4530        FAX:    (805) 371-4533
Internet:       isdale@illusioninc.com