More on vision and vibration

[email protected]
Sun, 23 Apr 1995 13:17:01 -0500

I was asked indirectly by Mark Pesche via the co-inventor of waving, Mark
Stahlman, to expand on my request for extending the vibration frequency
response down to zero Hertz. I think it may be important, so bear with me.
There are a number of assumptions that need to be listed first:
1. Cyberspace will become increasingly immersive as the technology and
software develops. Some of us think this is obvious, but it needs to be stated.
2. Cyberspace is concurrent with realspace and mindspace - they are parallel
energy flows, not serial. It is our attention to this flow that serializes
the information flow through consciousness.
3. We do not have bodies in cyberspace, only in realspace.
4. The energy flow in cyberspace is not the same as its parents - realspace
and mindspace. Therefore it is neither. It is its own space with its own
unique capabilities.
5. Cyberspace is the next evolution of space. The first since the evolution
of mindspace. Mindspace led to consciousness. Cyberspace will lead to
something beyond consciousness. I dunno either.
6. The 'rules' of two spaces do not necessarily apply to three spaces, and
new 'laws' will evolve not realised before which enable us to achieve a
balance between the three spaces.
7. The primary senses of cyberspace are vision and vibration (with sound as
a subset), not the basic five of realspace.
8. VR is a subset of immersive cyberspace. As well as simulating realspace,
cyberspace can also simulate mindspace, and also itself.
9. Flying is the natural form of navigating in cyberspace.

There's more, but this is enough for now. Maybe expand in comp.vr.vrml ?

So what do we do with our bodies when we're immersed in cyberspace? We use
it as a sensory input as in realspace, but in a different way. You can't get
rid of your body - it's still there even in the deepest immersion - but you
can reduce attention to it. By purposely reducing awareness to realspace
stimuli, to the point that the body is 'forgotten', the flow of energy
through consciousness between cyberspace and mindspace becomes more focussed
and dominates the experience. Now the body can be used as a motion and
vibration receptor by stimulating kinesthetic response with motion cues and
low frequency vibration.

Using a smart chair with a low cost 3 or 6 degree of freedom motion base
hooked up to the net enables motion cuing to be used on the Web to enhance
the flying metaphor. I don't mean the jerk and puke stuff - more like
falling, flying and floating.

Vibration can be used for many purposes:
- expanding the music spectrum into the physical realm so that the body can
dance in cyberspace as if a field of energy. Imagine thousands of people
flying on the net together as one connected field of immersive music.
- responding to realspace vibration simulation
- receiving input from body vibrations - breathing, heartbeat, alpha waves,
etc.as control inputs to affecting the space.
- and so on.

My present work with NASA is to develop a smart chair for training
astronauts in zero g simulation based on the neutral posture, but spinoff
tech has many applications in cyberspace. See NASA Tech Briefs September 94,
page 34. or my bare bones Web pages.

So, the extension of the frequency spectrum down to zero Hertz could add
significantly to the immersive experience. Is it feasible? Do we want it?
When - 2.0 or later, much later? It seems relatively simple to implement on
top of the sound spec, but the consequences could be neverending.

See ya

bp

Brian Vandellyn Park
principal
flogiston corporation
web: http://www.flogiston.com/flogiston/

realspace: Austin, TX
mindspace: vox/fax (512) 894 0562
cyberspace: [email protected]