When paired with the Oculus Rift, Myo — Thalmic Labs' wireless controller for digital devices — can help better immerse users by replicating their arm movements virtually.
The armband measures electrical activity from the user's muscles to detect hand gestures. With the Oculus Rift, users see those motions in real-time. According to software lead Stefanus Du Toit, the team began with two floating arms that remained in the same spot, resulting in users feeling detached from the experience. However, Thalmic Labs noticed something interesting.
"One of the things we found early on, though, is when we put our arms into exactly the same position as what we saw on the screen and just held them there, there was this weird little magical moment where just for a second it felt like those were your arms you were looking at."
By adding motion, Du Toit said, the illusion grew into something much more believable. After completing finishing touches, Thalmic Labs plans to release Myo to its developer community. Check out the video above for more on Myo.
Oculus unveiled its latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crystal Cove, at CES 2014. Read our hands-on impressions for more on the headset.
