One of the major reason why I love SAO is that, unlike some other virtual reality based manga/novel, the author actually explained the technology that are used, and it felt like it was actually possible.

And yeah, I know this is kinda crazy, but do you think that it actually possible? Considering our technology now, how many years/decade is it going to take to actually reach the technology used in SAO?

I've read some article about bionic eyes and artificial sense of touch for prosthetic and think that the theory could be used. However (based on my limited knowledge on the subject) both need an actual connection with the nerves and require some sort of transplant. While the sense of sound could be easily generated, it was difficult generate the other sense without actual contact to the nerves, and the thought of having some device(s) transplanted to your neuro for the sake of a virtual world is not exactly comfortable. Or worse, to have a plug(?) in your neck like in matrix.

FIRST.... ASSUME I AM A COMPLETE DINGBAT WITH NO REAL KNOWLEDGE AS I WILL BE BRINGING A FEW POINTS UP!!!!

The whole point here is whether what the author explained here is based on real knowledge he researched or possibilities he explored based on what he understands on how the human anatomy works. While it sounds plausible, cause of how signals in our body moves using electricity and our brain that works similar to a computer, we have to think of theoretical and experimental stages of making a virtual reality machine. A program would be needed to decipher and convert the signals from our brain to the one that computer uses. The same would be needed to return those signals to the brain. A 2 way transaction must first be established. There would also be health issues as feedback from the computer might fry your brain. Another thing is the Fluctlight explained by the author in volume 8. It may or may not actually exist. Won't say anymore as possible spoiler.

Basically..... 40-50 years for secret military projects. 80-100 years for society usage on simple machines. 150 years for Virtual Reality Gaming. Or it could not actually be possible from the start.

At the level of this game it might take long, but i can bet that in about 30 to 40 years something among the lines would already exist.


You see, it would be ridiculous to actually want to implement pain in a game, but as far as touching something goes, if some of our other senses are exited then the others will react too. This can be proven in home if you have a realistic looking rubber arm (i know that is hard to get), but with this i'm trying to say that even before cordless sensation transition is created we could already had a realistic in game feel with something far less technologic.

Even with today technology, a total immersion like game could be developed, but that would cost a fortune, won't be portable, and would be a ridiculous lose of money in general.


To make matters better, the technological evolution in relation with time had been a sharp curve since a while ago, meaning we evolve in a faster rate every year.

You might see your grandchildren play with something similar to that.


Pd: If you actually had a realistic looking rubber arm tell me and i'll tell you about the experience.

Pd2:

There already exist artificial limbs that use electrodes to feel the electric impulse of the arm or leg to move, but they are not common at all (not that reliable for what i hear)

Edit: There is also the dream department, it had been analysed before and if we can actually control it you could play extremely realistic games using your brain as the console.


Last edited by BlackOrion at 9:37 am, Jul 14 2012

Well, Headgear Sony Personal viewver for ps3, Online RPGs and virtual reality games already exist.

The way I see it two things are needed. Implement eye sensors into the head gear to trace eye movement, which can be done with current technology. Read brain signals and convert them to usable data.

Here is an interesting article for advances regarding reading brain data.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/29/new-system-lets-you-type-with-your-brain-using-mris/

Edit: I'm talking about creating a game console, in which implementing pain would be a negative.



Last edited by nesfe at 9:57 am, Jul 14 2012

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Not only that, but I'm pretty sure with my internet capacity right now the lag would be so severe.....

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Yes. I agree. Most important would be internet capacity!!! A minimum of 60GB per second would be necessary I think. (This is based on the news which I read in the game .Hack//G.U. Meaning it could be wrong)

I think the biggest problem is still the man machine interface, if we would like to get a full dive experience. But I belive that maybe in the next 30-40 year we can make this huge step.

For this kind of VR world I think this is a little bit closer. (10-20 years)

Is it possible? I would say it is.

Let's look at some simple facts for now. Ever heard of Moore's law? Yes/no? If your answer was no, then let me explain. Moore's law is the observation that over the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years, though this is gradually slowing down due to the limits of silicon and due to the fact there simply isn't enough room for more transistors. (In simple terms: Computers become twice as powerful in approximately 2 years time.) Think about it for a while, this is silicon we are talking about, there is a much better material for computing on its way and it's called graphene. It will most likely become mainstream somewhere between 2016 and 2017, oh and did I mention, self-healing materials are on their way too, I'll give them 2 years tops.

If the virtual reality is very demanding for computers, then there is a simple fix (even though this will probably not be needed by then). Just have a supercomputer do all the work and just stream that information through the internet, this would be a simple fix and no one would need to buy the expensive hardware. This technology is already here, just look at services like OnLive.

I just realized that my explanation will become really long if I go into too much detail and no one probably even wants to know so I will make this a little shorter.

The worlds top scientists believe that in about 20-30 years we will have the means to reprogramme our bodies’ stone-age software so we can halt, then reverse, ageing. Then nano-technology will let us live for ever.

Already, blood cell-sized submarines called nanobots are being tested in animals. These will soon be used to destroy tumours, unblock clots and perform operations without scars.

Ultimately, nanobots will replace blood cells and do their work thousands of times more effectively.
Within 25 years we will be able to do an Olympic sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, or go scuba-diving for four hours without oxygen.

Heart-attack victims — who haven’t taken advantage of widely available bionic hearts — will calmly drive to the doctors for a minor operation as their blood bots keep them alive.

Nanotechnology will extend our mental capacities to such an extent we will be able to write books within minutes.

If we want to go into virtual-reality mode, nanobots will shut down brain signals and take us wherever we want to go. Virtual sex will become commonplace. And in our daily lives, hologram-like figures will pop up in our brain to explain what is happening. Do I even need to mention gaming at this point? It's obvious isn't it?

These technologies should not seem at all fanciful. Our phones now perform tasks we wouldn’t have dreamed possible 20 years ago. In 1965, a university’s only computer cost £7million and was huge.
Today your mobile phone is a million times less expensive and a thousand times more powerful. That's a billion times more capable for the same price. The Apollo moon rocket had only roughly 4 kilobits of memory while the phone in your pocket probably has at least 32Gigabits, you do the math.

For crying out loud even nuclear fusion is only about 40-50 years away. Many of you probably don't even know what that means, how big of an achievement that is. So far nuclear fusion has only occurred inside stars, STARS!!! We are creating things that compete with stars, blowing your mind yet?

I could go into much, MUCH greater detail, but I'm guessing not too many even read this so I won't bother, maybe I will if someone shows interest.

TL;DR Yes it is possible and it's closer than you could even imagine. I'd give it 20-30 years.

PS: Let me give you something to think about. At the point of time when you're old and wrinkly, (unless you already are) you will most likely be just as clueless about new technology as the senior citizens of today are, or maybe you won't even age at that point anymore.

Not possible... Now or in the few comming years.

Right now we dont know well how brain Works with memory and senses, we have rough understanding of where those functions may be located in the brain but hijacking them like they do in the novel... no way we could need to add something to the brain like someone sugested(nanobots or wires) nanobots... its kind of a dream as they could without fail damage some parts of the brain, the brain doesnt heal as well as other body parts so inserting stuff there comes with lots of draw backs.

It may be possible sonner than what i spect in case we get some good breakthrough... tho.

So, this thread is just over three years old, Do you think it's actually possible?
Virtual Reality I mean.... Now that we have 2 out of 5 senses with the coming of Samsung Gear VR. Now only three left, right?

What do you say?

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It's definitely possible, but not soon. Rather than complete immersion in VR, injecting virtual into reality would be easier, I think. E.g. Pokemon Go system + google glass combo. The system is already there and only need to be put together. The way things are going right now, even if a VR game is released, I'm 100% sure it would be keyboard/ console controlled, with no real sensory feel, not to mention the motion sickness that will go along with it.

None of the (Japanese) online worlds seen in the "post-.hack" landscape are remotely possible in any of our lifetimes. The development budget alone would be unfeasible as you would need money that only very few companies or even nations have to commission the production. We would also need sentient AI for any of this to work and an army of the world's top scientists to keep the "game" going. Let´s say all hat could be achieved and the result would be be a mere "videogame" that targets primary teen. How exactly would the loses be regained and over how long a time? How expensive would the game be to play too?
Another problem is that such worlds tend to go Syknet so we would also create a global catastrophe just waiting to go nuclear. Awesome!

I remember the VR from the 90s and it was trash and today´s one is a joke too. 3D was actually a boom in the 1950s so we are still riding high on that pipe dream.
My county can´t have trains running on time and you guys want a living and breathing world inside a cheap VR headset that surpasses our real one in every single way possible. How fun dreaming and i will throw on my PS4 in the meantime that still mainly plays up-converted Xbox 360 games...

These "light" novels and comics target children for a reason so dream about space colonisation or an alternative to oil instead. Lastly play Metal Gear Solid 2, watch Make love not Warcraft or a documentary on "Second Life" as any such simulation would murder society and productivity at the core and don´t think that anyone would read manga again as everyone would be their own "space age hero". Seen here:

Forgot: A (real) novel about VR worlds that i can actually recommend is the cyberpunk classic Snow Crash and the recent Ready Player One.

Last edited by residentgrigo at 5:19 am, Mar 18 2016

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