04/18/06

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Virtual Pet Torment

hamster.jpg

For those who can't deal with human competition in online games, hamsters may soon offer less challenging opposition. Researchers at the Emerging Art and Architecture Research Group and the Mixed Reality Lab at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore are working on an augmented-reality computer game called "Mice Arena" that pits a virtual persona operated by a human player against a virtual beast operated by a rodent.

To enlist hamsters in this endeavor, scientists have devised a tiny hamster-driven tank (a Flintstones-style foot-powered vehicle) fitted with infra-red sensors that tracks the position of a remote-controlled bait vehicle. As the hamster chases its food in the real world, the human player engages in a game of virtual keep-away to keep his or her avatar safe.

Adrian David Cheok, director of the Mixed Reality Lab, suggests the game could help pet owners play with their pets while out of town. Think of it as neglect without the guilt.

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