There are no broken limbs on these slopes, no need for winter wear. Doff the head-mounted display and you're in NEC's "virtual skiing" lab in Tokyo. Goggles send data on your head position to an NEC computer - the model's still a shop secret - while two shifting metal plates under your feet gather data on weight and leg movements. Poles affixed to the base take stock of upper body movements, while a sensor attached to one finger notes blood flow and stress. The computer charts your progress down the virtual slopes and jumbles or straightens the terrain to match your ability.
NEC research manager Asao Kaneko says he'll have software to simulate actual slopes and mountain vistas from Aspen to Zermatt in four months, and NEC is negotiating with possible partners to open virtual skiing salons in Tokyo soon after. Developers are gambling that many weekend skiers will say sayonara to traffic jams and $300 room rates and hit the salons instead.
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