Is This The Future Of Pokemon Go? New Technology Makes Characters Even More Interactive

Featured image credit:Getty/Nicolas Maeterlinck

The first time I was exposed to virtual reality (VR), I was amazed, transfixed and then very worried as to which way the world was going. I was testing out the new Oculus headset that transforms you to a different world - one that is cleaner and brighter. Meanwhile, I was stood in an exhibition hall looking like a right tit.

Just before the mass population of the world was about to walk into virtual porn, Pokémon Go came and saved the day. Users find it fascinating that an animated monster can appear in their own back garden, on the street or in a nearby park. It's harmless, so long as you keep an eye on the traffic on the roads.

I'm just grateful that the vast majority of companies are using the technology for good and not just to explore new methods to help make pornography more stimulating. Well, kind of grateful.

The researchers from Massachusetts's Institute of Technology (MIT) have unveiled a new piece of technology that allows objects, such as Pokémon, to interact better with their environment, thus making the whole experience of playing the game that much more realistic and more exciting.

The technology called Interactive Dynamic Video (IDV) lets users reach in and touch objects in videos by using traditional cameras and algorithms to pay attention to the tiny object on screen. It then allows game players to create stimulations so that they can virtually interact with the characters on screen.

Basically, users will be able to make the character, or object, move on their screen on their demand. Who needs friends?

Using IDV will also allow Pikachu and his pals to bounce on platforms that exist in real life, such as your hedge, park bench or curb on the side of the road.

There is no yet suggestion that Niantic, the company behind the popular game, is forecasting to use IDV to develop the games. It would, however, create a more immersive experience for users worldwide.

Video credit: YouTube/gito gilang

"This technique lets us capture the physical behaviour of objects, which gives us a way to play with them in virtual space," CSAIL PhD student Abe Davis said. "By making videos interactive, we can predict how objects will respond to unknown forces and explore new ways to engage with videos."

The technology seems to have massive potential that goes further than you and I trying to catch the rare Pokémon in the neighbourhood. The developers of IDV believe that this technology could also be a cost-effective method in the film industry.

For example, in movies it can be difficult for CGI characters to authentically interact with their real-world environments.

However, with the aid of IDV, a videographer could take video of an existing real-world environment and make some slight changes to achieve a similar effect, altogether taking less time and costing a fraction of the budget.

Davies believes that traditional virtual reality technologies are missing a trick and believes that him and his team have the answer. "When you look at VR companies like Oculus, they are often simulating virtual objects in real spaces," he says. "This sort of work turns that on its head, allowing us to see how far we can go in terms of capturing and manipulating real objects in virtual space."

So there you have it, and you're now wondering where else this technology could provide a more immersive experience. IDV could potentially allow you to reach in and edit a porn clip. I started here, so I shall finish here (no pun intended). How many of you would, given the chance, reach in an add a little vibration or whatever...? And there was me being thankful that VR porn hasn't yet come in as a phenomenon. Who was I kidding? This technology has the potential the take over the world.