DIY “GVS” Shocks Your Nerves to Simulate Gaming Motion [VIDEO]

We’ve seen a wide range of whacky gaming devices over the years, but this one is certainly unique. Rather than a big VR simulator or motion rig like you would see in the arcades, this is a little more… raw. Mean Gene Hacks decided that instead of driving some actuators, he’d just hook up some electrodes to his body and shock himself using a GVS device… it actually worked, but we still don’t recommend it.

The video below shows how he used BeamNG.drive on PC to operate his toned down torture device. He created his own “galvanic vestibular stimulation” (GVS) device for under $50, which sounds like good value, really. Using electrodes attached to the nerves in your ears, the device is meant to help with your balance. However, if you already are balanced, you can screw around with it to simulate the feeling that you’re moving in one direction or another; just what I needed, travel sickness from my own sofa!

The game sends physics data to his custom software, which then beams the signals to the GVS device and into the electrodes on his head. It sounds complicated and dangerous, but well, it seems to work quite well and safely. But, of course, it doesn’t move the body, so much as it tells your brain you are moving, so your instinct is to lean to counter the motion.

Fancy hooking your head up to your computer? Mean Gene Hacks has the source code and the PCB layouts here, if you’re feeling really bored this week, it’s something to do.