Sony working on biometric controller?
Jamie Donnelly November 2, 2011 - 4:23 pmA patent application from Sony has appeared online that points towards a biometric controller that will feature in an unnamed handheld device, as well existing PlayStation Move and DualShock 3 controllers.
Console manufacturers are always sniffing around for the next new thing that will separate their consoles from the rest. Remember Sony‘s push for SixAxis at the start of this generation, when it really was just a poorly implemented motion control system? Well, it seems they’re once again taking a leaf out of Nintendo‘s book (remember the Wii Vitality sensor that was once raved about before disappearing into the nether?) as they may be developing a biometric system to implement into a new device and current controllers.
Siliconera reports that patents from Sony have been filed that give details about a biometric controller that will be able to measure skin moisture, heart rhythm and muscle movements. You wouldn’t need to strap yourself up to any extra monitering devices either, as all your sensory feedback would be measured via the controller handles.
There are plenty of ways that the information could be used to enhance a gaming experience, and Sony has gone so far as to list some of them in the patent. Your character’s mood could change depending on your personal mood, aiming could become less steady dependent on your stress levels, and you could get an in-game adreneline boost depending on your actual excitetment. It all sounds very cool (and just a little bit like science-fiction), but a patent doesn’t mean it will actually happen.
Knowing the video game/technology industry, if Sony do end up producing a biometric controller they will also end up getting sued by someone somewhere down the line. Microsoft are currtently being sued over the technology used in Kinect, while Nintendo are being sued by Tomita Technologies over the 3DS.
Keep up to date with all the latest Sony news right here at BeefJack.
