Indeed, Virtual Reality devices have been circulating, but apart from the beautiful graphics, we still know that the world feels unreal. The controller limits our physical movements; we still feel the couch we sit on.
What we desire is like deep Sword Art Online. Full immersion in Virtual Reality is like a lucid dream: we know who we are and remain aware.
This sounds like a fantastic adventure, but is it even possible? Even though the odds are slim, scientists and engineers have made great strides toward such immersive Virtual Reality experiences.
Tech Devices in Sword Art Online
1. Nerve Gear
It is the 2nd generation FullDive machine made by Argus. This is the first mass-produced VR technology.
Shaped like a helmet, this device controls the player’s consciousness by directing signals sent by the brain to the body and sending waves to stimulate the five senses. The NerveGear has its own battery source and a high-frequency electromagnetic microwave transmitter.
When Sword Art Online is released for the NerveGear console, of course, it will be a joy for all gamers. Unfortunately, the game trapped 10,000 players after the official launch of Sword Art Online in November 2022.
2. AmuSphere
The second generation FullDive machine, co-developed by RECT Progress Inc. This system has been modified to be more secure than its predecessor by switching the microwave transmitter to a low frequency.
The AmuSphere design incorporates multiple sensors that continuously monitor blood pressure and brain waves and adds an emergency logout feature if a person’s status becomes abnormal.
In addition, the AmuSphere does not completely block signals from the body, as the NerveGear does, so players can perceive outside sounds and sensations, for example, when someone tries to wake them up.
3. Medicuboids
It is a third-generation FullDive machine developed for use in the medical field rather than the entertainment industry. The basic design for this machine was provided by Koujiro Rinko, based on the machine Kayaba used to copy his memories and thoughts into the virtual world.
Unlike the second generation of devices which only consisted of a helmet connected to the user’s brain, the Medicuboid is integrated with the bed, from the head to the upper body, not just the helmet. The Medicuboid connects not only to the medulla but also to the spinal cord.
Medicuboid has greater processing power, allowing interaction with more profound parts of the brain. All of these upgrades provide the user with increased reflexes and reaction time. However, this machine is only intended for medical purposes, specifically for Terminal Care patients.
4. Augma
It is a multi-purpose device developed by Professor Shigemura Tetsuhiro and distributed by a newly emerging information and communication technology company named Kamura.
Unlike the NerveGear and AmuSphere, the Augma can send signals to the brain when the user is awake, and thus is an Augmented Reality device rather than Virtual Reality.
Although it was later discovered that the Augma also can immerse the user in FullDive since this device is based on the NerveGear, this function has been kept secret from the public.
5. Soul Translator
Higa Takeru created the fourth-generation FullDive machine in Rath. Unlike its predecessors, this machine is not connected to the user’s brain but to a Fluctlight, the soul, or consciousness.
The machine was created in Project Alicization to create highly adaptive artificial intelligence by copying human Fluctlights. This machine also has a function called Fluctlight Acceleration (FLA), which enables the machine to accelerate the user’s sensing time by up to 5,000 times that of real-world flow time.
In addition, the virtual world created by Soul Translator is very life-like, as the machine creates the world through memories, not polygons, which means that every object in the virtual world is on the same level as the real thing in the user’s consciousness.
