Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Biofeedback Video Game

Posted by Zonk on from the be-one-with-the-joystick,-grasshopper dept.

Thanks to georgehm3 for pointing out a video game available at bio-medical.com called The Journey to Wild Divine. The game uses a series of sensors connected to your pc via USB port to determine your body's state of relaxation. From the informational page: "We take them on a mythological tour and on this tour, we teach them ancient techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation exercises, a number of tools you can use in real life."

2 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Resistance by phauxfinnish · · Score: 3, Informative
    From the site:
    Three "Magic Rings" Biofeedback finger sensors, GSR & Heart Rate, with connecting cable

    I agree that TFA is poorly worded while describing how it works, but at least their package manifest correctly identifies the technology.

  2. Playing it as Fantasy game by stripe42 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I have been looking at this game over the past year or so and received it for Christmas. The biofeedback works well and I'm just beginning to learn to control the various elements. I've worked with sound-induced brain wave synchronization (anyone remember mindsync?) and this game reminds of some of those mental states.

    The "new age" theme to me is more like playing a D&D game in the role of a wizard or cleric.

    The graphics remind me of Myst -- highly rendered static scenes with motion captured "actors" and some CG decoration (waterfall, birds) and objects for biofeedback training exercises (floating balls, fire, pin-wheels...). Navigation is like watching a short movie as you progress from area to area.

    I rather enjoy the music -- it fits the mood well. I'd classify it as Ambient.

    I'm cheap and skeptical so the price is more than I'd want to pay without a trial (however that'd be achieved), but I am very satisfied with the product. The only two additions I'd like so far are 1) recording biofeedback input of what was being detected by the sensors, and 2) ability to quickly jump from exercise to exercise instead of navigating the game-space. I look forward to exploring the project on source forge posted above. Thanks for the link!