May 22 2008VR Masks: The Future Is Gonna Suck
If there's one thing I hate, it's reality. I wake up in the morning and gone is the hot chick I was making out with in my dream. And gone right along with her is not having to work, pay bills, or build a robot/zombie proof bunker. God I really hate waking up sometimes. Well to make reality a little bit more bearable comes these conceptual virtual reality masks.
In a troubling future, these augmented reality devices would offer a new dimension - a virtual layer that could be used to "re-skin" the troubling outside world. A boundary between the wearer and the world around him, the device would become a sort of visual drug, used to make the world appear a better place - even if just for a moment. Within the mask, smells, sounds, even air quality would be imitated to create a full sensory experience. The facial expressions of those wearing the device would be detected and projected onto personal avatars visible to others also living behind the shield of the mask.
Man, at first I thought this sounded promising, now it just sounds stupid. Screw this. I'm just gonna triple my dosage of Ambien and try to sleep 20 hours a day. What's that -- I should wash it down with a liter of bourbon? You got it!
A couple more pictures, including a look inside the (conceptual) mask, after the jump.
frog Design's concept facemask [notcot]
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Reader Comments
1. butterbee - May 22, 2008 1:39 PM
I can't wait. Hope I can live to see it.
2. Julian - May 22, 2008 1:49 PM
creepy shit. but hey if it means I get to walk around looking like Sub-Zero all day its cool. also, what kind of '1984' future is this where everyone is bald?
What is this thing anyways, can you imagine playing a VR game in this thing? you'd look like a killer ninja assassin and a retard pretending to be mario all at the same time.
3. Stuey - May 22, 2008 1:50 PM
"we" as in humans are a peculiar species.
4. Julian - May 22, 2008 1:56 PM
I just noticed the 'eject' button on the mask. I can tell they really thought this through. The bright green button goes really well with the otherwise white mask. Also if the Wii-mote is any indication this thing will suck the juice out of AA's faster than yo mama! oh snap!
5. Stuey - May 22, 2008 1:58 PM
HAHAHAHA @4!
Well done!!!
6. Derwin - May 22, 2008 2:07 PM
There was a really good stop-motion animation film about this exact concept called "More" that involves these kind of "Happy Goggles". It's kind of surreal actually, check it out:
http://www.gethappy.com/watchmore.html
7. pdrunk - May 22, 2008 2:16 PM
I'll wait until they come up with an Alien Facehugger mod for it.
8. Sev - May 22, 2008 2:51 PM
Sounds like the nector in Haze. : P Do we really want to pretend that no problem exists in the world?? wow... haha
9. Dnalel - May 22, 2008 4:44 PM
@8, I was just about to ask if the designers had ever heard of Haze.
That said, I want one.
10. Fallen - May 22, 2008 5:30 PM
Me, I want this. Gimmi.
11. guate6 - May 22, 2008 8:17 PM
If this is the future, then it's sad.
12. beastman AIDS - May 22, 2008 8:44 PM
wouldnt it be a far more beneficial idea to invent a better way to clean our shit up rather than creating the illusion that everything is swell?
13. Angel Mass - May 22, 2008 9:29 PM
You know what? with mask or not pathetic loser are still pathetic losers lol
14. SiBBoT - May 23, 2008 7:36 AM
Forget Haze, Anyone out there remember the opening sequence to a game called Syndicate Wars?
This thing aint' designed for Joe blogs. More like your Rothschilds me thinks.
15. Mack - July 1, 2008 2:21 AM
Wait, I don't get it. This thing makes you see what you want to see or what?
16. ArchiveEATER - August 4, 2008 5:44 PM
I came across this article and have only one comment.
How do we know we having been wearing these masks our entire life?