This VR Headset Can Quite Literally Kill You!
Sword Art Online, a popular Japanese novel turned anime, is set in the year 2022, and its story begins on November 6th when millions of players become stuck in a virtual reality MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game).
In the story, players utilize a virtual reality (VR) headgear called NerveGear to enter the virtual world, and if they “die” within the game, they actually die in real life. The logic behind this is that you couldn’t take off the device unless you complete the game, and if you fail to do so, the headset bombards your brain with microwave radiation, essentially killing you.
Inspired by this, the founder of Oculus, Palmer Luckey designed a headset of his own that kills people in reality when their health reaches zero.
"This might be a game, but it is not something you play."
To commemorate the Sword Art Online Incident of November 6th 2022, I made the OQPNVG, the first virtual reality device capable of killing the user – if you die in the game, you die in real life.https://t.co/F3nkP5EU61
— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) November 6, 2022
It’s clear that Luckey is a huge fan of Sword Art Online, as on his blog, he not only reminisces about the series’ storyline but also discusses how the success of the series was a significant factor in making the Oculus Rift stand out in the VR industry. In addition, he stated that the Oculus headquarters had a painting of Kirito (the SAO protagonist) until he was let go in 2017.
The design for this headset feels honestly large and brutal, and if you are wondering, the headset is actually a Meta Quest Pro that is attached to three explosive charge modules. A narrow-band photosensor is linked to the chargers, and it is activated when “the screen flashes red at a precise frequency,” essentially destroying the brain with microwave frequencies.
The project might seem frightening to some, however there is no need to worry as its simply a ‘piece of art’, but who knows? Maybe, something like could come to life in the future. Let us know what you think in the comments down below.
