Tech News
Gamers set to receive virtual punch from new technology
By Stevie Smith
Oct 23, 2007, 13:00 GMT

Videogame fans looking to interactively immerse themselves beyond peripherals such as light guns, vibrating motion-sensitive gamepad controllers, and pedal-equipped steering wheel arrangements, will likely be jumping in pain-laced joy after the arrival of a new gameplay impact vest developed to deliver physical blows to the wearer.

More specifically, U.S. surgeon Dr. Mark Ombrellaro has designed and developed the ‘3rd Space’ vest peripheral that allows players to actually feel when their on-screen character sustains bodily damage. The gameplay extension device, which looks much like a police-issue bullet-proof vest, is equipped with eight pneumatic pads that deliver air pressure feedback against the player so that they can physically feel shots, stabs, and other gaming effects registered against their torso.

Available via Redmond-based TN Games for the rather gut-punching price of $189 USD, the (presently PC-only) 3rd Space impact vest will be released in November alongside Activision’s existing World War II shooter "Call of Duty 2" and custom-made title "Incursion".

"It was originally designed as a medical device, to give medical exams via the Internet to prisoners, the elderly, those in rural communities and other isolated people," revealed Ombrellaro during an open testing session at the ‘E for All’ videogame show taking place in California this week.

"You can teleconference with patients but you are missing the hands-on… Being able to do that is the last step to tele-health," Ombrellaro added before outlining that Microsoft Corp. representatives had already been around to check out the 3rd Space vest.

Unsurprisingly, the medical version of Ombrellaro’s technology is considerably more complex than that which is finding its way into the videogame industry, allowing doctors to remotely assess their patients’ bodies and gather detailed feedback on their conditions. The medical vest is currently awaiting approval from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regarding the device’s accuracy where diagnosis is concerned.

According to a NEWS.com.au report on the 3rd Space vest, a version able to impose the feeling of in-flight G-force and turning stresses during plane and car-based titles is to be released to retail early in 2008.