Stress-sensing Technology to make Gaming more Real

“Everyday life just keeps getting more chaotic – there’s a feeling of disarray at work and at home. Digital Bamboo’s health games are all about balance. We want to give people healthy reasons to play games that transcend boundaries of age and occupation,” says Brett Skogen, President of Digital Bamboo. “Our innovative approach to health-oriented interactive entertainment is not only universally beneficial, but entertaining as well.”

That sentiment about a chaotic life really hit home today. I’m not sure how having a sensor tethering me and my game console that measures my heart palpitations and stress response is supposed to make my life more balanced… but I’m a sucker for a gimmick! According to the press release Digital Bamboo has entered the digital entertainment field with what sounds like Plug-and-Play style games as well as an eye on traditional console gaming.

Through working with prominent neuroscientists and educational psychologists, as well as licensing patented health technologies, Digital Bamboo is creating a suite of groundbreaking software products geared to synchronize mind and body. These stand-alone products will measure heart physiology, challenging users to manipulate internal stress levels to successfully control the action onscreen.

Digital Bamboo is also applying this tech in traditional videogames to enhance the realism and immersion experienced by players, regardless of age. By incorporating heart rate measurement and stress response management into the gaming experience via Digital Bamboo’s technology, gamers will need to steady their nerves before sinking a put in a golfing game, or minimize their cortical inhibition before firing a precise shot in a first person title, bringing an unprecedented level of realism to the experience.

It sounds exciting but I can’t imagine the restraint required to steady my aim in an online FPS with 13-year-olds swearing in my ear and chipping away at my armor with their own random, enraged shots. Sadly, I lost that kind of control decades ago.