Palmer Luckey, the creator of the original Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset, has announced that he has modified a headset to be able to kill the user “in real life”.
In a blog post on his own website, Luckey said the idea was inspired by the Japanese Sword Art Online novel series, which follows two protagonists as they play various virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). . The story goes that the two characters play these games through a headset, the NerveGear, which will allow them to control the games using only their minds.
On November 6, 2022 at Sword Art Online, the creator of NerveGear informs 10,000 players that they must tackle 100 floors of Aincrad, the setting for the series’ steel castle, in order to be freed, but if they die in the game or try to take off the headphones by force, they will die in real life.
On November 6, 2022, Luckey posted on his own website a modification he had made to a VR headset that used three “explosive charge modules” linked to a “narrow-band photosensor” that can detect when the screen flashes red. at a specific time. frequently, therefore, recognizing the game over screen. When this screen is displayed, the charges will fire “instantly destroying the user’s brain”.
The device, in Luckey’s own words, “is not a perfect system,” as his plans for an anti-tampering mechanism that makes it impossible to remove or destroy the earphones are not yet complete. “I haven’t worked on the balls to use it myself,” Luckey said, “I’m convinced that, like in SAO, the final activation really should be tied to a high-intelligence agent who can easily determine if the conditions for termination are right.” really correct.”
He closed the blog post by stating that the headset is “just an office piece of art” serving to remind people of the “uncharted avenues in game design”, but acknowledged that it is the first non-fictional example of a headset. virtual reality that “can actually kill the user”.
The creation of the harrowing device comes after Luckey’s company, Anduril Industries, won a $1bn (£871.8m) defense contract with the US Department of Defense in January. The long-term contract was aimed at developing Anduril’s Lattice system, which includes autonomous towers that can shoot enemy drones out of the sky without a crew.
In 2017, he was informed by the edge that Luckey concealed donations of $100,000 (£87,200) to fund former President Donald Trump’s inaugural celebrations through companies bearing the name chrono trigger items. The donations came just months after Luckey admitted that she had funded a pro-Trump group.
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