Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!hlab
From: kilian@poplar.cray.com (Alan Kilian)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: New sensory modalities which probably will not appear.
Message-ID: <1991May1.014938.15819@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 30 Apr 91 19:38:04 GMT
Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu (Human Int. Technology Lab)
Organization: University of Washington
Lines: 57
Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu




>From: jdb9608@ultb.isc.rit.edu (J.D. Beutel)
>>>For example if one is in
>>>VR and is constantly given the ability to see magnetic fields,
>>>once he removes the goggles will his senses pick up on this
>>>ability and be able to see the fields in reality?   
>>
>>No. The human eye is not sensitive to normal strength magnetic fields.
>>Sorry.
>
>Seeing is more than meets the eye.
>
>Sometimes you see what you expect to see, even tho (sic) it's not really
>there.  And then there are things right in front of you which you might
>never notice.
>
>Imagine a eyephone/camera/computer which can (somehow) identify hidden
>weapons (like an experienced police officer) by suspicious bulges in
>clothing.  A rookie could use this visual cue to learn what to look
>for.  With experience the rookie could see what s/he could not see
>before, but would learn faster with the cueing.

True. THe human eye can see bumps in clothing and can therefore be trained
to recognize these bumps more quickly.

>How about a similar system for engineers, with input from stress
>sensors (inside bridges, buildings, or machines)?  The VR cues
>presented in conjunction with the engineer's own senses may allow
>him/her to learn what to look for.  The engineer may begin to be able
>to see the stressed areas without any input from internal sensors.

No, The human eye cannot detect the stress in structural members of bridges.
And cannot be trained to recognize these stresses.

>I expect those wouldn't be the strangest changes in perception.

Oh? I think that beginning to see stress or magnetic fields would be
sort of a MAJOR change in perception.

>Many suprising (sic) discoveries have been made about human perception, so
>far.
>VR can be a new tool in experimental psychology, and it may lead
>to new discoveries

Yes VR might be a great tool for physiology experiments.

>results we could never have imagined because we are
>so deeply entrenched in the reality we have adapted for ourselves.

Speak for yourself please.

 -Alan Kilian kilian@cray.com                  612.683.5499
  Cray Research, Inc.           | Getting up early is an absolute drag,
  655 F Lone Oak Drive          | at least I should suppose it would be.
  Eagan  MN,     55121          | -James S. Kunen _The Strawberry Statement_