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12.05.2010

Augmented reality device lets you suck and receive virtual sensations, oh yeah

Chalk this one up into the "Is this for real?" category. TagCandy is a device built by Yasuaki Kakehi of Keio University. The device consists of a handheld base with a speaker and a senor built into the top of it. Then you place a ordinary lollipop into the top of the device and whalla your living in the future baby. Once you place the delectible candy in your mouth and begin to er... you know, suck the candy. The sensor will pick up your movements and the device with play one of many different sounds, such as firework or biting an apple for instance. The speaker vibrates and through that you can either feel the sound on your tongue and through bone-conduction technology, you will hear the sound by touching the candy to your teeth. There are plans in the future to add more functionality to its repertoire such as biting recognition and the ability to share sensations over the internet. We all know what happens when we get the internet involved into such things don't we ;- ). There is a nice video clip here that highlights this wonderful technology.




Take a good hard look fellow gamers. Could this vision of augmented reality be the next leap in video games? Nintendo needs to step up its game in order to take us to the next level and I don't think the Vitality Sensor is going to do it. I can see it now, Wii2 comes packed with Nintendo themed lollipops. Can you imagine the combination of Wiimote technology and mouth sensations! Satoru Iwata I'm talking to you. I've always wondered what if felt like to stomp on goombas in my mouth. God, that sounds oh so wrong.

What do you think of this new augmented reality technology? The future or another WTF device?

3 comments:

  1. I think Nintendo is preparing the Wii2(whatever it's name), but I'm not sure which route they're going...because at this point, if they enter the market with any "new" technology that cost more than $300 to manufacture, I think they're at the disadvantage by the time they get it to market.

    The PS3 and Sony Move/Navigation really cost consumers $430.
    While the 360 and Kinect really cost consumers $400 to $450(for the Xbox 360 with HDD).

    By next year though, the prices on all the consoles and "accessories" should be less to manufacture, and if Nintendo is the "new" system with "new" technology, usually the costs increase, not decrease...which I think would make Nintendo have their Wii2 at $300+, and possibly the regular Wii at $150 or less.

    It's an interesting market now for sure, and to see how/when Nintendo enters with the next console will be interesting...I'm not sure the applications with this technology would be accepted in games though.

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  2. @Coffee, I sense u didn't pick up on my sarcasm. This device is ridiculous, but the thought of a game company using it gave me chortles.

    Nintendo likes to use slightly dated technology for their tech (3DS screen being the exception) so I can see them pumping out something comparable to PS3 or a 360 at a reasonable price in a few years. The question is what they are going to do with the Wiimote. I can't imaging them abandoning the controller for a completely new one. But they tend to flush peripherals down the toilet all the time. So who knows.

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  3. This is totally perverted. Why is he pretending that it isn't?

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