In a development that could pave way for the next gaming revolution, a Stanford student has built a game controller that can tell what a gamer is feeling.
Guardian Liberty Voice describes a modified Xbox 360 controller that can measure heart rate, temperature, respiration rate and perspiration rate among a host of other body parameters which, in return, can be used to provide feedback to a game. The objective is to improve gaming experience based on the biometric parameters.
Corey McCall, a doctoral student at the laboratory of Stanford Electrical Engineering professor Gregory Kovacs, designed the controller that alters gameplay when a player gets bored based on feedback the game receives, Guardian Liberty Voice said.
"You can see the expression of a person's autonomic nervous system in their heart rate and skin temperature and respiration rate, and by measuring those outputs, we can understand what's happening in the brain almost instantaneously," McCall said in a statement.
Gamespot reported McCall made the prototype by replacing the back panel with a 3D printed plastic module that contains several sensors to measure body's parameters. Software keeps track of game intensity. The sensor data then reveals the gamer's engagement levels with the game.
McCall said, "If a player wants maximum engagement and excitement, we can measure when they are getting bored and, for example, introduce more zombies into the level. We can also control the game for children. If parents are concerned that their children are getting too wrapped up in the game, we can tone it down or remind them that it's time for a healthy break."
In a video posted on YouTube, McCall describes how the controller can help improve levels of engagement in the game. He also demonstrates the controller while he plays Audiosurf Overture.
Guardian Liberty Voice said the controller was first displayed at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January this year where it garnered positive responses.
