Japanese Engineers Create Virtual Reality Buggy

[Logan Westbrook]

Japanese Engineers Create Virtual Reality Buggy

Engineers in Japan have built a real life buggy that lets you interact with a virtual world while driving it.

I've mentioned it before but I have something of a soft spot for weird concept vehicles, whether they're peddle-powered airhips [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/88926-Cruise-The-Wasteland-In-Style] or solar-powered bicycles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93437-The-Bicycle-of-the-Future] (yeah, wrap your head around that one) so a five-wheeled buggy that projects a VR display on its interior, which the driver has to rely upon entirely to navigate is right up my street.

The buggy is basically little more than a chair with a projector and an opaque outer shell that looks a little bit like Casper The Friendly Ghost's head and was developed by Iwata-Yano Laboratory at the University of Tsukuba who describe it as a 'media vehicle'.

It's probably not going to replace your car any time soon, but it does have certain charm, even if only because of its resemblance to fictional ghosts.

Source: CrunchGear [http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/10/25/digital-contents-expo-tokyo-futuristic-media-vehicle/]




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[Sevre]

A hark back to the days of roasting marshmallows.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

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[Emphraim]

Why do the Japanese get all the cool stuff?

I want to ride around in a giant marshmallow too!

 

[Amnestic]

Why do the Japanese invent all the cool stuff?

Fixed. Probably because they're the only country crazy enough to spend money on such frivolous things

 

[Sparrow]

I sense death ahead.

Most likely of people who forget how the hell you stop the thing.

 

[zombie711]

I want to know if you can drive into a house and out run the police, it would be need for speed shift meets crazy taxi

 

[Quadtrix]

I might take a stab at Virtual Reality in a few years, after I finish pursuing a degree in Electronics. I've had a few ideas that I wanted to test out for the longest time.

 

[Supreme Unleaded]

So wait, does this thing acually move is it just making it look like your driving, if its the latter ill buy it since i dont have a licence and driving is fun.

 

[Guy32]

Soooo... its like a buggy with a tv instead of windows? Its pretty cool, but completely useless.

 

[quack35]

It sounds like it would be pretty buggy.

ba-dum-tish!

 

[Eric the Orange]

Wait I'm confused. dose this thing really drive around, or is it just a buggy driving simulation? and if it dose really drive around, is the projected picture on the inside the same as you would see if it had windows?

 

[Teh_Doomage]

Why do the Japanese invent all the cool stuff?

Fixed. Probably because they're the only country crazy enough to spend money on such frivolous things

Totally 100% agree...they always invent the good stuff because well, they are fun people and have learned to embrace technology to point of AWESOME!

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

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[coldshadow]

Aww sweet, one step closer to Virtual Reality MMOs

one step closer to the matrix

 

[FROGGEman2]

The Japanese invented something totally insane?

Really?

 

[Heathrow]

It actually looks a lot more like Fone Bone's head.

http://www.boneville.com/wp-gallery/ComicCovers/Cover%20Poster.50.jpg

 

[LeonLethality]

Why do the Japanese invent all the cool stuff?

Fixed. Probably because they're the only country crazy enough to spend money on such frivolous things

CRAZY?! I think not they are brilliant to do it...