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Xbox Controller Hits You in the Feels… Literally

New Xbox controller can tell when you're getting bored!
This article is over 10 years old and may contain outdated information

Gregory Kovacs, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford, along with some of his students, have created a special Xbox 360 controller that can detect what you are feeling during gameplay.

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The controller uses uniquely designed pads that can measure the player’s blood flow, rate of breathing and heart beat. This technology has been on fitness equipment in years past, but now it’s making its way to the living room to work into your game time. 

“If a player wants maximum engagement and excitement, we can measure when they are getting bored and, for example, introduce more zombies into the level,” says Corey McCall, one of Kovacs’ students. “We can also control the game for children. If parents are concerned that their children are getting too wrapped up in the game, we can tone it down or remind them that it’s time for a healthy break.”

The controller can sense when you’ve had enough, and I think this could be the perfect aid in helping parents control what their children can and can’t do with their games. If the sensors are in the controller, maybe they will be able to set up a parental lock like some laptops have that use the fingerprint of a specific user. 

This game pad is just at the beginning stages, but I think this will be a promising use of technology in the future. What do you think of this type of controller? 


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Miranda Kirk
Former member and Senior Intern of the JTP program, woo!