Go For a Real Run Through the Virtual World
The YouTube video above comes to 3pointD from Birgit Frenzel of I-D Media, whom we last met in Berlin, back when the Lifecrawler team had begun to offer client services in the virtual world of Second Life. The video features some new hacks the German team has apparently been cooking up, including the ability to jog through Second Life via a treadmill, and to steer with the D-pad on a Wiimote, which was hacked up by Gideon May back in March. The video is cool — get fit while navigating the virtual world! — but of course we have to give props to our neighbor in Second Life’s Louise sim, Moriash Moreau, who had the same thing going almost a year ago. Then again, the Lifecrawler one is a bit smoother and not so DIY, but hey, Mori’s a pioneer. The Lifecrawler team has also made good strides (sorry) on the Destroy Television-like technology for which they’re named, which is now working pretty smoothly, judging from this cool YouTube video. 3pointD hears that the Lifecrawler team may soon provide a virtual video streaming service not unlike Ustream that would let any SL resident stream their second lives to the Web. Watch for it.
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We’ll probably be going for a real many things through the virtual world. But I’d Love to go for a dance. I.e. SL x Dance Dance Revolution.
LOL, it’s nice! So when you want to fly, how to do it in RL?
To quote Aimee Weber, “I just flew in from Daboom, and boy are my arms tired!”
Heh, now that you mention it, I briefly tinkered with a flight interface. It involved a couple of crude accelerometers- basically just a couple of loose washers threaded on a dowel rod, inside the body of a couple of markers. When you moved it down fast enough, the washers would fly upward and close some contacts at the top of the marker barrels. Said contacts were wired to close a direction button contact on a modified keyboard (Page Up in this case, but it really doesn’t matter- depends on your script). A script measured times between the the button presses, and adjusted lift (with llSetForce) accordingly. Upshot is, you’d hold the accelerometers in your fists and flap your arms up and down. Do it fast enough, and your avatar would rise. Slow down, and it falls. It worked, but after a few minutes my shoulders made quite alarming popping noises. So I never really developed it any further (like, for example, working out a way to steer, move forward, etc).
Or you could try something like this.
Well I am broadcasting live from second life already couple of weeks now using blogTV.com. It is working very smooth and it is also possiable to record the video while you broadcasting.
For more information you contact me at main@yellowscreen.co.il
Peace :)