back to article Valve tried tongue-tied interface controller

Valve boss Gabe Newell revealed the company has experimented with "tongue controllers" in a bid to discover the next fad in computer interfacing. The Valve topdog reckons the tongue is a "pretty good way of connecting a mechanical system to your brain" and as such, flirted with the concept as a way of speeding up communication …

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  1. Aaron Em

    In light of this...

    ...I wonder how much faith I should place in Mr. Newell's concerns with regard to Windows 8 and touch interfaces. Tongue controllers? Seriously? Maybe if all my arms and legs stopped working, or something, but short of that...

    1. Dave 126

      Re: In light of this...

      In light of what, exactly?

      ""I don’t think tongue input is in our futures..." said Mr Newell.

      I.e. his company tried it and decided it wasn't worthwhile. Seems a fairly sane process to me. Did you even read the article?

  2. Mojo2904

    Nice yellow, dead tooth in that picture.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Err

      I thought dead teeth were black.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do you really want to use your tongue...

    Do you really want to use your tongue to play Half Life? Do you REALLY want to TASTE a headcrab?

    I can only think of one group that might get behind this, so:

    Are there any Pierson's Puppeteers in the crowd? Raise your heads!

    1. Dave 126

      Pierson's Puppeteers

      there was a very good unabridged audio book of Ringworld... sadly they didn't keep the same voice actor for the sequels. I'm of the Iain M. Banks generations, though.

  4. Charles 9

    What'll be the future?

    Controller brain caps, that's what. Take motion out of the controller equation entirely and allow us to perform actions simply by thinking about them. And unlike the tongue controller, there is genuine research into this as it is nearly the only option available to the severely paralyzed (like Stephen Hawking) who are barely able to move themselves.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: What'll be the future?

      Just get another computer to respond to the action and you don't have to even think about it!

      Touch is only useful when you've got nothing else. Look at gamers - generally they'll use laser mice which require only very small, precise movements. Having "nothing else" isn't always bad, it just has a restricted field of use.

      Even on a tablet, most on-screen keyboards are too large. Far better to have an almost-phone sized keyboard you can use with just your thumb (swype). It's faster and more comfortable than poking the unyielding glass screen with one finger (as the other hand has to hold the thing).

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What'll be the future?

      Then we could end up with a sword art online situation with people held hostage inside their games via the controller interface.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_Art_Online

  5. Fibbles
    Coffee/keyboard

    Gabe Newell and chin control... Is that joke intentional?

    1. Caleb Cox (Written by Reg staff)

      mwahah

      It was unintentional... of course. Do you really think I'm so cruel that I mock American obesity so publicly? ;-)

      Not everyone is so kind....

      https://www.facebook.com/GabeNewellsFifthChin

  6. LinkOfHyrule
    WTF?

    Oi Gabe...

    ...I can assure you pal that using your tongue is not a "pretty good way of connecting a mechanical system to your brain" unless you happen to have some kind of disability in which case it could be very cool or you are very eccentric in which case it may be totally normal.

    Other than that, its not pretty good at all - all the slime, bad breath, flakes of pork pie or sushi depending on your diet - its just gross!

    I'm sorry but I do not want my next game controller to be made by oral-b!

    1. Dave 126

      Re: Oi Gabe...

      there have been a few systems that have tried to use optical>electrical systems to create a workable 'obstacle avoiding' (or better) system for blind people... the question is, how do you rely this information to their brain? Some sysetms have used sound, akin to a bat. Some have used actuators on a chair, to press into the user's back... I seem to recall that some have used the tongue- evidently some of the engineers responsible have at one time placed their tongue across the contacts of a PP9 (the oblong 9v battery you stick in smoke alarms)

  7. JeevesMkII
    Alien

    Do you remember...

    When Gabe said he was playing around with sign language for the next Half Life? I'm starting to wonder if the continuing non-appearance of Half Life 3 (2 episode 3 for that matter) is due to excessive executive meddling. Can't we just have a traditional health packs 'n' headcraps FPS? I liked all the other ones you did.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I really wouldn't want to share controllers.

  9. Anonymous Coward 15

    Could be good for disabled users?

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